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THE    MEMOIRS   OF    A 
WHITE  ELEPHANT 


THE  MEMOIRS 

OF  A 

WHITE  ELEPHANT 


BY 


JUDITH  GAUTIER 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH  BY  S.  A.  B.  HARVEY 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  L.  H.  SMITH  AND  S.  B.  KITE 


Copyright,  1916 
by  DUFFIELD  &  COMPANY 


/0,3 

. 


FOREWORD 

(Avant-propos) 

We  are  told  by  writers  of  antiquity  that  ele- 
phants have  written  sentences  in  Greek,  and  that 
one  of  them  was  even  known  to  speak.  There  is, 
therefore,  nothing  unreasonable  in  the  supposi- 
tion that  the  White  Elephant  of  this  history,  the 
famous  "Iravata"  so  celebrated  throughout  Asia, 
should  have  written  his  own  memoirs. 

The  story  of  his  long  existence — at  times  so 
glorious,  and  at  other  times  so  full  of  misfor- 
tune— in  the  kingdom  of  Siam,  and  the  India  of 
the  Maharajahs  and  the  English,  is  full  of  most 
curious  and  interesting  adventure. 

After  being  almost  worshipped  as  an  idol,  Ira- 
vata becomes  a  warrior;  he  is  made  prisoner  with 
his  master,  whose  life  he  saves,  and  whom  he 
assists  to  escape. 


578639 

LISRAR? 


FOREWORD 

Later  he  is  deemed  worthy  to  be  the  guardian 
and  companion  of  the  lovely  little  Princess  Par- 
vati,  for  whose  amusement  he  invents  wonderful 
games,  and  to  whom  he  renders  a  loving  service. 

We  see  how  a  wicked  sentiment  having  crept 
into  the  heart  of  the  faithful  Elephant,  usually 
so  wise  and  good,  he  is  separated  for  a  long  time 
from  his  beloved  Princess,  and  meets  with  pain- 
ful and  trying  experiences. 

But  at  last  he  once  more  finds  his  devoted 
friend  the  Princess,  and  her  forgiveness  restores 
him  to  happiness. 

J.  G. 


FOREWORD 
TO    THE    AMERICAN   EDITION 

MY  DEAR  CHILDREN  : — 

This  Story  was  written  by  Mademoiselle 
Gautier,  a  French  lady  who  lives  in  Paris.  She 
is  very  handsome,  and  very  learned,  and  is  able 
to  write  and  speak  Chinese,  which  is  the  most 
difficult  language  in  the  world. 

She  has  also  written  beautiful  tales  of  Persia, 
Japan,  and  other  far-away  countries. 

This  Story  was  meant  for  French  children,  but 
I  have  made  it  into  English,  so  that  my  little 
American  friends  can  have  the  pleasure  of  hear- 
ing all  about  "Iravata"  the  good  and  wise  Ele- 
phant, and  his  friends,  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Golconda,  and  the  charming  little  Princess  Par- 
vati. 

Iravata  meets  with  many  surprising  adven- 
tures. At  one  time  he  becomes  a  "War-Ele- 


FOREWORD  TO  AMERICAN  EDITION 

phant,"  and  goes  into  battle  in  magnificent  ar- 
mour carrying  the  King  on  his  back.  He  fights 
tremendously,  but  nevertheless  is  taken  prisoner, 
and  the  King,  his  master,  is  condemned  to  death 
by  his  cruel  enemies.  But  the  clever  Elephant 
finds  a  way  to  liberate  his  Master,  and  they  es- 
cape together,  and  after  many  adventures  reach 
home  safely. 

Later  on  Iravata  becomes  restless  and  un- 
happy, and  runs  away,  and  after  many  wander- 
ings, he  joins  a  Circus.  Here  he  performs  many 
amusing  feats.  But,  growing  homesick,  he  is  at 
last  only  too  glad  to  return  to  his  home  in  the 
Palace  of  Golconda,  where  he  lives  happily  ever 
after. 

S.  A.  B.  H. 

Atlantic  City,  1916. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

FOREWORD 

I.  THE  STUDENT  OF  GOLCONDA  .  3 

II.  THE  NATIVE  FOREST    ...  14 

III.  THE  TRIUMPHAL  PROCESSION  21 

IV.  ROYAL  ELEPHANT  OF  SIAM    .  33 
V.  THE  DOWRY  OF  THE  PRINCESS  39 

VI.  THE  DEPARTURE      ....  43 

VII.  THE  LIGHT  OF  THE  WORLD    .  50 

VIII.  BATTLE 57 

IX.  THE  ESCAPE   .     .     .     .     .     .  64 

X.  GANESA 81 

XL  WE  ARE  TAKEN  FOR  ROBBERS  89 

XII.  PARVATI .  96 

XIII.  MY  PRINCESS 100 

XIV.  ELEPHANT  GAMES    .     .     .     .  ill 
XV.  SCIENCE 118 

XVI.  FINE  CLOTHES 125 

XVII.  THE  ABDUCTION 129 

XVIII.  RETRIBUTION 138 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIX.     THE  HERMIT 143 

XX.     DESPAIR 158 

XXI.     JEALOUSY 165 

XXII.     FLIGHT 168 

XXIII.  THE  HERD 175 

XXIV.  THE  BRAHMAN 181 

XXV.     THE  IRON  RING 190 

XXVI.  "THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE 

Two  WORLDS"    ....  197 

XXVII.     MY  DEBUT 212 

XXVIII.     COMEDIAN 219 

XXIX.  THE  RETURN  TO  PARADISE     .  227 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

A   SPLENDID   PROCESSION   WAS   FORMED   AND   BEGAN   ITS 

MARCH.  I  FOLLOWED  NEXT  AFTER  THE  KING  .  .  .  Frontispiece 
TRANSPORTED  WITH  RAGE  I  RAN  AT  HIM,  SEIZED  HIM  WITH 

MY  TRUNK  AND  DRAGGED  HIM  FROM  THE  SADDLE  .  .  Facing  p.  78 
PARVATI  RAN  TO  HIM,  LAUGHING  AND  QUITE  RECOVERED  .  "  106 
"WHICH  OF  You  HAS  BEEN  GOOD?"  SHE  INQUIRED  ...  "  116 
I  UTTERED  A  SUDDEN  ROAR  AND  AT  THE  SAME  TIME  LEAPED 

TOWARD  THE  SERPENT "  140 

"HE  Is  WHITE,  AND  THAT  Is  ALL  THE  MORE  REASON  FOR 

SENDING  HIM  OFF"  .  .  .  .  • "  178 

"On,  IRAVATA!  IRAVATA!"  SHE  SAID  IN  A  Low  VOICE  .  .  "  230 


THE    MEMOIRS   OF    A 
WHITE  ELEPHANT 


THE  MEMOIRS  OF 
A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

CHAPTER   I 

THE    STUDENT    OF    GOLCONDA 

FIRST  of  all  I  must  tell  you  how  I  learned  to 
write.  This  knowledge  came  to  me  somewhat 
late  in  my  long  life,  but  it  has  to  be  mentioned 
at  the  outset,  for  although  you  men  have  taught 
my  race  to  perform  many  laborious  tasks,  you 
have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  sending  us  to  school, 
and  an  elephant  capable  of  reading  and  writing 
is  a  phenomenon  so  rare  as  to  seem  almost  in- 
credible. I  say  rare,  for  I  have  heard  it  stated 
that  my  case  is  not  entirely  unique.  During  my 
long  association  with  mankind  I  have  come  to 
understand  much  of  their  speech.  I  am  even  ac- 
quainted with  several  languages ;  Siamese,  Hin- 
dustani, and  a  little  English. 

I  might  have  been  able  to  speak;  I  attempted 

2  3 


4       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

to  do  so  at  times ;  but  I  only  succeeded  in  produc- 
ing such  extraordinary  sounds  as  set  my  teachers 
laughing,  and  terrified  my  companion  elephants, 
if  they  chanced  to  hear  me;  for  my  utterances 
resembled  neither  their  own  language  nor  that 
of  mankind ! 

I  was  about  sixty  years  old  (which  is  the  prime 
of  youth  with  us) ,  when  chance  enabled  me  to 
learn  letters,  and  eventually  to  write  the  words 
which  I  was  never  able  to  pronounce. 

*         ****** 

The  enclosure  reserved  for  me  in  the  Palace  of 
Golconda,  where  I  was  permitted  to  roam  en- 
tirely at  liberty,  was  bordered  on  one  side  by  a 
wall  of  bricks  enameled  in  blue  and  green.  It 
was  quite  a  high  wall,  but  it  reached  only  to  my 
shoulder,  so  that  I  could,  if  inclined,  look  over 
the  top  very  easily. 

I  spent  much  of  my  time  at  this  place,  owing 
to  some  tall  tamarind  trees,  which  cast  a  fresh 
and  delicious  shade  all  around. 

I  had  plenty  of  leisure,  indeed,  I  was  actually 
idle,  for  I  was  rarely  called  upon  except  for  pro- 


THE    STUDENT   OF    GOLCONDA  5 

cessions.  So,  after  my  morning  bath  had  been 
taken,  my  toilet  made,  and  my  breakfast  finished, 
my  guardians,  or  rather  my  servants,  were  at  lib- 
erty to  sleep,  or  to  go  about  visiting  and  amusing 
themselves — while  I  stood  motionless  under  the 
trees,  going  over  in  my  mind  the  many  experi- 
ences of  my  past  life. 

Every  day  there  arose  from  an  adjoining 
courtyard  merry  shouts  and  laughter,  which 
would  be  followed  by  a  silence,  and  then  by  a 
monotonous  chanting.  It  was  a  class  of  little 
boys  who  were  reciting  the  Alphabet,  for  a  school 
was  being  taught  there. 

Under  shady  trees,  on  turf  covered  here  and 
there  with  small  carpets,  a  number  of  children 
with  red  caps  romped  and  played,  when  the  Mas- 
ter was  not  there.  As  soon  as  he  appeared  all 
was  silence,  and  he  seated  himself  upon  a 
larger  rug,  under  an  old  tree. 

On  the  trunk  of  the  tree  was  fastened  a  white 
Tablet,  on  which  he  wrote  with  a  red  pencil. 

I  looked  and  listened,  at  first  without  much  in- 
terest, noticing  chiefly  the  mischievous  antics  of 


6       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

the  children,  who  made  faces  at  me,  and  glanced 
over  with  all  sorts  of  grimaces — exploding  sud- 
denly with  laughter  for  which  no  cause  was  ap- 
parent. .  .  .  Punishments  rained!  Tears  suc- 
ceeded laughter !  And  I,  who  felt  myself  some- 
what the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  no  longer 
ventured  to  show  myself.  But  my  curiosity  was 
awakened.  The  idea  of  trying  to  learn  what  was 
being  taught  to  the  small  men  became  fixed  in  my 
mind. 

I  could  not  speak — but  who  knows? — I  might 
learn  to  write ! 

Concealed  in  the  foliage  from  the  eyes  of  the 
frolicsome  little  urchins,  I  gave  an  extreme  at- 
tention to  the  lessons — sometimes  making  such 
violent  efforts  to  understand  that  I  trembled 
from  head  to  foot. 

All  that  was  required  was  simply  to  pro- 
nounce the  letters  of  the  Alphabet,  one  after  an- 
other, and  trace  them  on  the  white  Tablet. 

At  night  now,  instead  of  sleeping,  I  exercised 
my  memory ;  and  when  in  spite  of  my  endeavors 
I  could  not  recall  the  form  or  the  sound  of  a  let- 


THE    STUDENT    OF    GOLCONDA  7 

ter,  I  uttered  such  cries  of  despair  that  my  guard- 
ians were  aroused. 

One  day  there  stood  before  the  Tablet  a  boy 
who  was  quite  large,  but  extremely  stupid.  He 
had  stood  for  some  minutes  with  his  head  hang- 
ing down,  his  finger  in  his  mouth,  shifting  him- 
self from  one  foot  to  the  other  in  a  sulky  man- 
ner— He  did  not  know! 

All  at  once  an  impulse  seized  me.  I  extended 
my  trunk  over  the  wall,  and  taking  the  pencil 
gently,  with  the  tip  of  my  trunk,  from  the 
hand  of  the  little  dunce  (somewhat  excited  by 
my  own  audacity) ,  I  traced  on  the  white  Tablet 
a  gigantic  "E"  !  !  !  ! 

The  stupefaction  was  such  that  it  could  only 
be  manifested  by  profound  silence,  and  gaping 
mouths. 

Emboldened  by  success  I  seized  the  wet  cloth 
with  which  the  Tablet  was  cleaned,  and  effaced 
the  "E"  which  I  had  drawn.  Then,  in  smaller 
characters,  and  doing  my  very  best,  I  wrote  the 
entire  Alphabet,  from  end  to  end. 

This  time  the  Master  fell  on  his  face,  crying 


8       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

out,  "A  Miracle  I"  and  the  children  ran  away, 
terrified. 

As  for  me,  I  expressed  my  satisfaction  by  mov- 
ing backward  and  forward  my  big  ears. 

The  Teacher  now  rose  trembling,  detached  the 
Tablet  (being  careful  not  to  obliterate  any  of  the 
writing),  and,  after  saluting  me  most  humbly, 
went  away.  A  few  moments  later  I  saw  my 
Mahout  advancing  towards  me,  and,  without 
mounting,  he  led  me  through  the  great  avenues 
of  the  park  to  the  Entrance  of  the  Palace. 

Here  ordinarily  was  seated  my  dear  Mistress. 
But  now  she  had  left  her  couch,  and,  kneeling  on 
a  cushion,  was  examining  the  Tablet  covered 
with  letters  which  the  Schoolmaster  had  brought 
her. 

Standing  around  her  were  visitors,  also  look- 
ing on — several  Hindus  and  an  Englishman. 

As  soon  as  she  saw  me  she  ran  to  me,  clapping 
her  hands. 

"Is  it  true?  Is  it  true?"  cried  she.  "Iravata, 
did  you  really  do  it?"  I  replied  by  winking  my 
eyes  and  flapping  my  ears. 


THE    STUDENT    OF    GOLCONDA  9 

"Yes! — He  says  yes!"  said  my  sweet  Mistress, 
who  always  understood  me. 

But  the  Englishman  shook  his  head,  with  an 
air  of  incredulity. 

"In  order  to  believe  such  a  thing,"  said  he,  "I 
should  have  to  see  it  with  my  own  eyes — hearsay 
is  not  enough." 

I  attempted  to  efface  the  writing. 

"No,  no,"  said  the  Schoolmaster,  removing  it 
out  of  my  reach. 

"I  saw  the  Miracle,  and  I  implore  the  Royal 
Soul  which  inhabits  the  body  of  this  Elephant 
to  allow  me  to  retain  the  proofs!" 

Upon  a  sign  from  the  Princess  the  Scribes  were 
sent  for.  They  came  and  unrolled  before  me  a 
long  scroll  of  white  satin,  and  gave  me  a  pencil 
dipped  in  gold  ink. 

The  Englishman,  with  a  singular  grimace,  put 
a  morsel  of  glass  in  front  of  one  of  his  eyes,  and 
became  observant. 

Secure  now  of  myself,  not  permitting  myself 
to  be  embarrassed  by  the  scrutiny  of  the  com- 
pany, I  clasped  the  pencil  firmly  with  the  tip  of 


1O       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

my  trunk,  and  slowly,  and  with  deliberation,  I 
wrote  very  neatly  the  Alphabet,  from  beginning 
to  end. 

"Iravata ! — my  faithful  friend !"  said  the  Prin- 
cess, "/  knew  that  you  were  more  than  our 
equal!"  .  .  . 

Then,  with  her  lovely  white  arms  she  clasped 
my  ugly  trunk,  and  leaned  her  cheek  against  my 
rough  skin.  I  felt  her  tears  falling  upon  me,  and 
trembling  myself  with  emotion,  I  knelt  down  and 
wept,  too. 

"Very  curious!  .  .  .  Very  curious!"  mur- 
mured the  Englishman,  who  seemed  much  ex- 
cited, and  continually  let  fall  and  replaced  the 
bit  of  glass  in  the  corner  of  his  eye. 

"What  have  you  to  say,  Milord?  You,  who 
are  one  of  the  most  learned  men  in  England?" 
inquired  the  Princess,  drying  my  eyes  with  the 
corner  of  her  gauze  scarf. 

The  philosopher  recovered  his  composure. 

"Quintus  Mucius,  who  was  three  times  Con- 
sul, relates  that  he  saw  an  elephant  draw  in 
Greek  characters  this  sentence.  "//  is  I  who  have 


THE    STUDENT   OF    GOLCONDA  11 

written  these  words,  and  have  dedicated  the 
Celtic  Spoils."  And  Elien  mentions  an  elephant 
who  was  able  to  write  entire  phrases,  and  even 
talk.  I  was  formerly  unable  to  credit  these  state- 
ments. But  it  is  evident  that,  such  things  being 
possible,  we  must  bow  to  the  authority  of  the 
Ancients,  our  predecessors,  and  apologize  for 
having  doubted  their  word." 

My  Princess  decided  that  the  Schoolmaster 
should  now  be  attached  to  my  person,  and  en- 
trusted with  the  responsibility  of  teaching  me  to 
write  syllables,  and  words  (should  that  prove 
possible) . 

The  good  man  performed  his  task  with  rever- 
ence, and  with  a  patience  worthy  of  a  saint. 

For  my  part,  I  made  such  struggles  to  learn 
that  I  grew  thin  in  a  way  to  cause  anxiety  to 
those  who  loved  me,  and  my  skin  at  last  floated 
about  my  bones,  like  a  mantle  that  is  too  large. 
But  when  they  spoke  of  interrupting  my  lessons 
I  uttered  such  shrieks  of  despair  that  it  was  not 
to  be  thought  of. 

I  was  compelled,  however,  to  regulate  my 


12        THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

hours  of  study,  and  above  all  not  to  omit  my 
meals,  which  had  often  happened  in  the  fever 
of  learning  which  had  taken  hold  of  me. 

At  last  I  was  rewarded  for  my  diligence.  I 
was  able  at  length  to  write  the  beloved  name  of 
my  Princess !  It  is  true  it  was  instantly  blotted 
out  by  the  tears  with  which  I  deluged  the  paper ! 

From  this  moment  it  seemed  as  if  veils  had 
been  removed  from  my  understanding.  I  made 
rapid  progress,  and  with  the  greatest  ease.  So 
much  so,  that  my  Professor  was  not  considered  to 
be  sufficiently  learned  for  his  position,  and  a  cele- 
brated Brahman  was  called  upon  to  complete  my 
education. 

I  learned  that  all  Golconda  thought  of  noth- 
ing but  me.  And  it  was  expected  that,  when  I 
should  become  proficient  in  writing,  wonderful 
revelations  would  be  made  by  me,  concerning  the 
successive  migrations  of  the  Royal  Soul  which 
at  present  inhabited  my  person. 

But  what  I  have  written  has  been  simply  the 
Story  of  my  Life,  portions  of  which  my  dear  Mis- 
tress was  unacquainted  with. 


THE    STUDENT   OF    GOLCONDA  13 

The  work  was  at  once  translated  from  the 
Hindustani,  in  which  I  had  written  it,  into  all 
the  languages  of  Asia  and  Europe,  and  sold  by 
hundreds  of  thousands. 

This  honour  (which  has  excited  much  envy  in 
the  minds  of  authors  whose  works  were  not  so 
successful) ,  did  not  inspire  me  with  vanity. 

My  reward — my  recompense — was  Her  joy, 
and  Her  pride :  the  rest  of  the  world  was  of  no 
account  to  me;  for  all  that  I  had  achieved  was 
solely  and  exclusively  for  Her. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE    NATIVE    FOREST 

I  WAS  born  in  the  forest  of  Laos,  and  regarding 
my  youth  I  have  retained  only  very  confused 
memories;  occasional  punishments  inflicted  by 
my  Mother,  when  I  refused  to  take  my  bath,  or 
to  follow  her  in  search  of  food ;  some  gay  frolics 
with  elephants  of  my  own  age;  excessive  fear 
during  the  great  storms;  pillage  of  the  enemy's 
fields — and  long  beatitudes  on  the  borders  of 
streams,  and  in  the  silent  glades  of  the  forest. 
That  is  all.  For  in  those  days  the  mists  rested 
on  my  mind,  which  later  on  were  cleared  away. 

When  I  grew  large  I  perceived  with  surprise 
that  the  Elders  of  the  Herd  of  which  I  was  a 
member  regarded  me  with  disfavour.  This 
pained  me,  and  I  would  have  been  glad  to  think 
that  I  was  mistaken;  but  it  was  evident  that  no 
matter  what  advances  were  made  by  me,  I  was 

avoided  by  all.    I  sought  for  some  cause  for  this 

14 


THE    NATIVE    FOREST  1£ 

aversion,  and  soon  discovered  it  by  observing  my 
reflection  in  a  pool.    /  was  not  like  the  others! 

My  skin  instead  of  being  like  theirs,  gray  and 
dingy,  was  white,  and  in  spots  of  a  pinkish  col- 
our. .  .  .  How  did  that  happen  *?  Mortification 
overwhelmed  me.  And  I  formed  the  habit  of 
retiring  from  the  Herd  which  despised  me,  and 
of  remaining  by  myself. 

One  day  when  I  was  thus  alone,  sad  and 
humiliated,  at  a  distance  from  the  Herd,  I  no- 
ticed a  slight  noise  in  the  thicket,  near  me.  I 
parted  the  branches  with  my  trunk,  and  saw  a 
singular  being,  who  walked  on  two  legs — and 
yet  was  not  a  bird.  He  wore  neither  feathers 
nor  fur;  but  on  his  skin  there  shone  brilliant 
stones,  and  bits  of  bright  colours  that  made  him 
look  like  a  flower !  /  beheld  for  the  first  time  a 
Man. 

An  extreme  terror  seized  me;  but  a  curiosity 
equally  intense  kept  me  motionless  in  the  pres- 
ence of  this  creature — so  small  that  without  the 
slightest  effort  I  could  have  crushed  him,  and 
who  yet  in  some  way  appeared  to  me  more  for- 
midable and  powerful  than  I. 


l6        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

While  I  was  gazing  at  him  he  saw  me,  and  in- 
stantly threw  himself  on  the  ground,  making  ex- 
traordinary motions,  of  which  I  did  not  compre- 
hend the  meaning,  but  which  did  not  seem  to  me 
to  be  hostile. 

After  a  few  moments  he  rose  and  retired,  bow- 
ing at  every  step,  till  I  lost  sight  of  him. 

I  returned  next  day  to  the  same  spot,  in  the 
hope  of  seeing  him  again ;  the  man  was  there,  but 
this  time  he  was  not  alone.  On  seeing  me  his 
companions,  like  himself,  performed  the  same 
singular  movements,  throwing  themselves  on 
their  faces  upon  the  ground,  and  doubling  their 
bodies  backwards  and  forwards. 

My  astonishment  was  great,  and  my  fears 
diminished.  I  thought  the  men  so  pretty,  so  light 
and  graceful  in  their  motions,  that  I  could  not 
tire  of  watching  them. 

After  a  while  they  went  away,  and  I  saw  them 
no  more. 

One  day  soon  after,  when  alone  as  usual  I 
descended  to  the  Lake  to  drink,  I  saw  upon  the 
opposite  shore  an  elephant  who  looked  over  at 


THE    NATIVE    FOREST  IJ 

me  and  made  friendly  signals.  It  flattered  me 
that  he  did  not  seem  to  feel  repelled  by  my  ap- 
pearance, but  on  the  contrary  seemed  to  admire 
me,  and  was  disposed  to  make  my  acquaintance. 
But  he  was  a  stranger  to  me,  and  certainly  did 
not  belong  to  our  Herd. 

He  gathered  some  delicate  roots,  of  a  kind  that 
we  elephants  greatly  enjoy,  and  held  them  out 
to  me,  as  though  to  offer  them  for  my  acceptance. 
I  hesitated  no  longer,  but  began  to  swim  across 
the  Lake. 

On  reaching  the  other  side  I  gave  the  polite 
stranger  to  understand  that  I  was  attracted,  not 
so  much  by  the  sight  of  the  delicacies  as  by  the 
wish  to  enjoy  his  company.  He  insisted  upon 
my  accepting  a  portion  of  his  hospitality,  and 
began,  very  sociably,  to  eat  up  the  rest. 

Then,  after  some  gambols,  which  seemed  to  me 
very  graceful,  he  moved  off,  inviting  me  by  his 
looks  to  follow.  I  did  not  need  urging,  and  we 
plunged  into  the  Forest,  running,  frolicking, 
pulling  fruits  and  flowers.  I  was  so  delighted 
with  the  companionship  of  my  new  friend  that 


l8       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

I  took  no  notice  of  the  direction  in  which  he  was 
leading  me.  But  suddenly  I  stopped.  I  saw 
with  uneasiness  that  I  was  quite  lost.  We  had 
come  out  onto  a  plain  that  was  strange  to  me, 
and  where,  in  the  distance,  singular  objects 
showed  against  the  sky — tall  points  the  colour 
of  snow,  and  brilliant  red  mounds,  and 
smoke  .  .  .  things  that  seemed  to  me  not  nat- 
ural! 

Seeing  my  hesitation,  my  companion  gave  me 
a  friendly  blow  with  his  trunk,  of  sufficient  force, 
however,  to  show  more  than  ordinary  strength. 

My  suspicions  were  not  allayed  by  this  blow, 
under  which  my  flank  smarted;  I  refused  to  go 
further. 

The  stranger  then  uttered  a  long  call,  which 
was  answered  by  similar  calls.  Seriously  fright- 
ened now,  I  turned  abruptly  towards  the  Forest. 
A  dozen  elephants  barred  the  way. 

He  who  had  so  duped  me  (for  what  reason  I 
could  not  imagine) ,  fearing  the  effects  of  my  in- 
dignation, now  promptly  retired.  He  set  off  run- 
ning; but  I  was  so  much  larger  than  he  that  it 


THE    NATIVE    FOREST  1Q 

seemed  easy  to  overtake  him.  I  rushed  in  pur- 
suit, but  just  as  I  caught  up  with  him  I  was 
obliged  to  stop  short.  He  had  entered  the  open 
door  of  a  formidable  stockade,  made  of  the 
trunks  of  giant  trees.  It  was  inside  that  he 
wished  to  lead  me,  to  make  me  a  prisoner  I 

I  tried  to  draw  back  and  escape,  but  I  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  accomplices  of  my  false  friend, 
who  beat  me  cruelly  with  their  trunks,  and  at  last 
forced  me  into  the  enclosure — the  door  being  at 
once  shut  behind  me. 

Seeing  myself  caught,  I  uttered  my  war-cry, 
and  charged  the  palisades,  throwing  all  my 
weight  against  them,  in  the  hope  of  breaking 
through.  I  ran  madly  round  the  enclosure, 
thrusting  my  tusks  into  the  walls,  and  seizing 
the  timbers  with  my  trunk,  endeavouring  to 
wrench  them  apart.  It  was  against  the  door  that 
I  strove  most  furiously.  .  .  .  But  all  was  use- 
less. My  enemies  had  prudently  disappeared; 
they  did  not  return  till  I  was  exhausted,  para- 
lyzed by  my  impotent  rage,  and  until,  motion- 
less, and  with  drooping  head,  I  owned  myself 
vanquished! 


2O       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

Then  he  who  had  lured  me  into  this  trap  re- 
appeared and  approached  me,  dragging  enor- 
mous chains,  which  he  wound  around  my  feet. 
Groaning  deeply,  I  reproached  him  with  his  per- 
fidy; but  he  gave  me  to  understand  that  I  was 
in  no  danger,  and  that  if  I  would  be  submissive 
I  would  have  no  cause  to  regret  my  lost  liberty. 

The  night  came.  I  was  left  alone,  chained  in 
this  manner.  I  strove  with  desperation  to  break 
my  manacles,  but  without  success. 

At  last,  worn  out  with  grief  and  fatigue,  I 
threw  myself  on  the  ground,  and  after  a  time  fell 
asleep. 


CHAPTER   III 

THE   TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION 

WHEN  I  opened  my  eyes  the  sun  was  up,  and 
I  saw,  all  standing  around  the  stockade,  the  ele- 
phants of  the  day  before — but  out  of  my  reach ! 

They  were  fastened  by  the  foot,  by  means  of 
a  rope  which  they  could  have  broken  without  the 
slightest  effort.  They  were  eating  with  great 
relish  the  fine  roots  and  grasses  piled  up  in  front 
of  them. 

I  was  too  sad  and  mortified  to  feel  hungry, 
and  I  looked  gloomily  at  these  prisoners,  whose 
happiness  and  contentment  I  could  not  under- 
stand. 

After  they  had  finished  eating  some  men  ar- 
rived, and  far  from  showing  fear,  they  saluted 
them  by  flapping  their  ears — giving  every  sign 
of  joy.  Each  man  seemed  to  be  welcomed  by  one 
special  elephant  to  whom  he  gave  his  sole  atten- 
tion. He  loosened  the  rope  from  the  foot,  and 


21 


22       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

rubbed  the  rough  skin  with  an  ointment,  and 
then,  upon  a  signal,  the  captive  bent  back  one 
of  his  fore-legs  to  enable  the  man  to  mount  upon 
his  colossal  back.  I  looked  at  all  this  with  such 
astonishment  that  I  almost  for  the  moment  for- 
got my  own  sufferings. 

And  now,  each  man  being  seated  upon  the 
neck  of  an  elephant,  they,  one  after  another,  fell 
into  line  and  marched  out  of  the  enclosure,  and 
the  gate  was  shut  behind  them. 

I  was  alone;  abandoned.  The  day  was  long 
and  cruel.  The  sun  scorched  me,  and  hunger 
and  thirst  began  to  cause  me  suffering. 

I  struggled  no  more.  My  legs  were  lacerated 
by  the  vain  efforts  I  had  made.  I  was  prostrate 
— hopeless! — and  considered  myself  as  one  al- 
ready dead !  .  .  . 

At  sunset  the  elephants  returned,  each  one 
bearing  a  ration  of  food;  and  again  I  saw  them 
eat  joyously,  while  hunger  gnawed  my  stomach 
and  no  one  noticed  me. 

The  night  again  descended.  I  could  no  longer 
suppress  my  screams,  which  were  more  of  misery 


THE   TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION  23 

than  of  rage.    Hunger  and  thirst  prevented  me 
from  sleeping,  even  for  a  moment. 

In  the  morning  a  man  came  towards  me.  He 
stopped  at  some  distance,  and  began  to  speak  to 
me.  I  could  not,  of  course,  understand  what  he 
said  to  me,  but  his  voice  was  gentle,  and  he  did 
not  appear  to  threaten  me. 

When  he  had  finished  speaking  he  uncovered 
a  bowl  that  he  carried  filled  with  some  unfamiliar 
food,  the  appetizing  odour  of  which  made  me 
fairly  quiver! 

Then  he  came  near,  and  kneeling,  held  out 
the  bowl  to  me. 

I  was  so  famished  that  I  forgot  all  pride,  and 
even  all  prudence  (for  what  was  offered  me 
might  have  been  poisoned)  !  At  any  rate,  I 
never  had  tasted  anything  so  delicious;  and  when 
the  basin  was  empty  I  carefully  picked  up  the 
smallest  crumbs  that  had  fallen  on  the  ground. 

The  elephant  who  had  captured  me  now  drew 
near,  bearing  a  man  on  his  back;  he  made  me 
understand  by  little  slaps  of  his  trunk  that  I 
should  bend  back  one  of  my  fore-legs  to  allow 


24       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

the  man  who  had  fed  me  to  get  upon  my  neck.  I 
obeyed,  resigned  to  anything,  and  the  man 
sprang  up  very  lightly  and  placed  himself  near 
my  head.  Then  he  pricked  me  with  an  iron — 
but  very  gently — just  to  let  me  know  that  he  was 
armed,  and  that  he  could  hurt  me  terribly  at  this 
point,  so  sensitive  with  us,  at  the  least  sign  of 
rebellion. 

Sufficiently  warned,  I  allowed  myself  to  show 
no  impatience.  Then  they  removed  my  man- 
acles ;  the  other  elephant  took  up  the  march,  and 
I  followed  quietly. 

We  left  the  stockade,  and  they  led  me  to  a 
pool  in  which  I  was  permitted  to  bathe  and  drink. 
After  the  privations  I  had  suffered  the  bath 
seemed  so  delightful  that  I  could  not  make  up 
my  mind  to  leave  it  when  the  time  came ;  but  a 
prick  on  the  ear  told  me  plainly  that  I  must  obey, 
and  I  was  so  afraid  of  being  again  deprived  of 
food  and  drink  that  I  rushed  out  of  the  water, 
determined  to  do  all  I  was  bid. 

We  now  went  towards  the  strange  objects  that 
I  had  seen  in  the  distance  on  the  plain,  on  the 


THE    TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION  2£ 

day  I  was  made  prisoner.  I  learned  later  that  it 
was  the  city  of  Bangok,  the  capital  of  Siam.  I 
had  never  yet  beheld  a  city,  and  my  curiosity  was 
so  aroused  that  I  was  anxious  to  reach  it.  As  we 
drew  near  men  appeared  on  the  sides  of  the  road, 
more  and  more  numerously,  so  that  the  way  was 
crowded.  They  stood  on  each  side  of  the  path- 
way, and  to  my  great  surprise,  I  at  last  discov- 
ered that  it  was  I  whom  they  were  expecting, 
and  had  come  out  to  see ! 

At  my  approach  they  uttered  shouts  of  joy; 
and  when  I  passed  before  them  they  threw  them- 
selves, face-downward,  upon  the  earth,  with  ex- 
tended arms,  then  rose  and  followed  me. 

At  the  gates  of  the  city  a  Procession  appeared, 
with  cloth  of  gold,  and  arms,  and  streamers  of 
silk  on  long  poles. 

All  at  once  there  was  a  noise — so  wonderful 
that  I  stopped  short.  One  would  have  said  it 
was  composed  of  shrieks  and  groans,  and  claps  of 
thunder,  and  whistling  winds,  mingled  with  the 
songs  of  birds !  I  was  so  terrified  that  I  turned 
to  escape,  but  found  myself  trunk  to  trunk  with 


26       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

my  companion,  who  was  following  me.  His  per- 
fect tranquility,  and  the  roguish  wink  that  he 
gave  me,  reassured  me,  and  I  felt  mortified  to 
have  exhibited  less  courage  than  others  before 
so  many  spectators,  and  I  wheeled  about  so 
promptly  that  the  man  on  my  head  did  not  have 
time  to  prick  my  ear. 

I  was  ordered  to  stop  in  front  of  the  leader 
of  the  Procession,  who  saluted  me,  and  made  an 
address. 

The  great  and  fearful  noise  had  ceased,  but 
began  again  as  soon  as  this  personage  had  fin- 
ished his  speech.  The  Procession  turned  around 
now  and  preceded  me,  and  we  again  moved  on. 
I  then  saw  that  it  was  men  who  were  making  all 
this  noise.  They  struck  various  objects — they 
tapped  them — they  whistled  into  them — and 
seemed  to  take  the  greatest  trouble !  That  which 
they  made  was  called  "Music."  I  grew  used  to 
it  in  time,  and  even  came  to  think  it  agreeable. 
I  was  no  longer  afraid,  and  all  that  I  saw  inter- 
ested me,  and  delighted  me  greatly. 

In  the  city  the  crowds  were  even  denser,  and 


THE    TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION  27 

the  rejoicings  more  noisy.  They  spread  carpets 
on  the  route  I  was  to  traverse;  the  houses  were 
wreathed  with  garlands  of  flowers,  and  from  the 
windows  they  threw  phials  of  perfume,  which 
my  rider  caught,  flying,  and  sprinkled  over  me. 

Why  were  they  so  glad  to  see  me*?  Why  were 
all  these  honours  showered  upon  me"?  I,  who  in 
my  own  Herd  had  been  repulsed  and  dis- 
dained. .  .  . 

I  could  find  no  reply  at  the  time,  but  later  on 
I  learned  that  it  was  the  whiteness  of  my  skin 
which  alone  was  responsible  for  all  this  enthus- 
iasm. That  which  seemed  to  elephants  a  defect, 
seemed  admirable  to  men,  and  made  me  more 
valuable  than  a  treasure. 

They  believed  my  presence  was  a  sign  of  Hap- 
piness— of  Victory — of  Prosperity  to  the  King- 
dom— and  they  treated  me  accordingly. 

We  had  now  reached  a  great  square  in  front 
of  a  magnificent  building  which  might  well  cause 
amazement  to  a  "wild"  elephant.  Often  since 
then  I  have  seen  this  Palace,  and  with  better 
understanding,  but  always  with  the  same  aston- 


28       THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

ishment  and  admiration.  It  was  like  a  mountain 
of  snow,  carved  into  domes  and  great  stairways, 
with  painted  statues,  and  columns  encrusted 
with  jewels,  and  tipped  with  globes  of  crystal 
that  dazzled  the  eyes.  The  tall  golden  points 
rose  higher  than  the  domes,  and  in  many  places 
red  standards  floated,  and  on  all  of  them  there 
was  the  figure  of  a  White  Elephant! 

All  the  Court,  in  costume  of  ceremony  was  as- 
sembled on  the  lower  steps  of  the  stairway. 
Above,  on  the  platform,  on  either  side  of  a  door- 
way of  red  and  gold,  elephants  covered  with 
superb  housings  were  ranged — eight  to  the  right, 
eight  to  the  left,  all  standing  motionless. 

They  summoned  me  to  the  foot  of  the  stair, 
and  there  I  was  told  to  stop.  A  great  silence  fell 
upon  all.  One  would  have  said  that  there  was 
nobody  there.  The  crowd  which  had  been  so 
noisy  now  was  mute. 

The  red  and  gold  doorway  was  opened  wide, 
and  all  the  people  prostrated  themselves,  resting 
their  foreheads  upon  the  earth. 

The  King  of  Siam  appeared. 


THE    TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION  2Q 

He  was  borne  by  four  porters  in  a  pavilion  of 
gold,  in  which  he  sat  with  crossed  legs.  His  robe 
was  covered  with  jewels,  and  scattered  blinding 
rays.  Before  him  walked  young  boys  dressed  in 
crimson,  who  waved  great  bunches  of  feathers  at- 
tached to  long  sticks ;  others  carried  silver  basins 
out  of  which  came  clouds  of  perfumed  smoke. 

I  am  able  to  describe  all  this  now,  with  words 
which  I  have  learned  since  then ;  but  at  that  time 
I  admired  without  understanding,  and  I  felt  as 
if  I  was  looking  upon  all  the  Stars  of  Heaven, 
and  the  Sun  at  Noonday,  and  all  the  Flowers  of 
the  loveliest  Spring — at  one  and  the  same 
time!  .  .  . 

The  bearers  of  the  King  descended  the  steps  in 
front  of  me.  His  Majesty  approached.  Then 
my  conductor  pricked  my  ear,  and  my  companion 
struck  my  leg  with  his  trunk,  indicating  that  I 
was  to  kneel. 

I  did  so  voluntarily,  in  the  presence  of  such 
splendour,  which  seemed  to  me  as  if  it  might  burn 
any  one  who  should  touch  it ! 

The  King  inclined  his  head  slightly.  .  .  . 


3O       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

THE  KING  OF  SI  AM  HAD  SALUTED  ME! 
(I  learned  afterwards  that  I  was  the  only  one 
who  had  ever  been  honoured  in  such  fashion. 
And  I  was  soon  able  to  return  the  King's  salute, 
or  rather  to  anticipate  it.) 

His  Majesty  addressed  me  with  a  few  words 
which  had  an  agreeable  sound.  He  bestowed  on 
me  the  name  of  "King-Magnanimous"  with  the 
rank  of  Mandarin  of  the  First  Class.  He  placed 
upon  my  head  a  chaplet  of  pearls  set  with  gold 
and  precious  stones,  and  then  retired  to  his  Pal- 
ace. 

The  multitude,  who  until  now  had  remained 
prostrated,  now  rose  up,  and  with  shouts  and 
cries  of  joy,  accompanied  me  to  my  own  palace, 
where  I  was  to  dwell. 

It  was  in  a  garden,  in  the  midst  of  an  immense 
lawn.  The  walls  were  of  sandal  wood,  and  the 
great  roofs  extended  far  out  on  all  sides;  they 
were  lacquered  in  red  and  glistened  in  the  sun- 
light, with  here  and  there  globes  of  copper,  and 
carved  likenesses  of  elephants'  heads. 

I  was  taken  into  an  immense  Hall,  so  high  that 


THE   TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION  3! 

the  red  rafters  which  interlaced  overhead  and 

supported  the  roof  made  me  think  of  the  branches 
i 

of  my  native  Forest,  when  the  sunset  reddens 
them. 

An  old  elephant  was  walking  slowly  about  the 
Hall.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me  he  advanced  to- 
wards me,  flapping  his  ears  in  welcome.  His 
tusks  were  ornamented  with  rings  and  golden 
bells,  and  he  wore  on  his  head  a  diadem  like  that 
which  the  King  had  just  placed  on  mine.  But 
all  this  did  not  improve  his  appearance.  His 
skin  was  mottled  with  dingy  patches,  like  dried 
earth,  and  cracked  in  spots;  his  eyes  and  ears 
were  encircled  with  rednesses;  his  tusks  were 
yellow  and  broken,  and  he  walked  with  diffi- 
culty. But  he  seemed  amiable,  and  I  returned 
his  courtesies. 

My  conductor  descended  from  my  neck,  while 
officers  and  servants  prostrated  themselves  be- 
fore me  as  they  had  done  before  the  King  him- 
'self. 

Then  they  led  me  to  a  huge  table  of  marble, 
where  in  great  bowls  and  vessels  of  silver  and 


32        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

gold  were  bananas,  sugar-canes,  all  sorts  of  de- 
licious fruits,  and  choice  grasses — and  cakes — 
and  rice — and  melted  butter.  .  .  .  What  a 
feast! 

Ah !  how  I  wished  that  those  of  my  Herd  who 
had  made  a  mock  of  me  could  see  how  I  was 
treated  by  Men! 

My  heart  swelled  with  pride,  and  I  no  longer 
regretted  my  liberty  and  my  native  Forest. 


CHAPTER   IV 

ROYAL    ELEPHANT   OF   SIAM 

PRINCE-FORMIDABLE,  for  such  was  the  name  of 
my  ancient  companion,  reclining  not  far  from 
me  upon  a  bed  of  fragrant  branches,  now  told 
me  something  of  his  history,  and  also  instructed 
me  as  to  my  duties  of  Royal  Elephant. 

"I  have  been  here  rather  more  than  one  hun- 
dred years,"  said  he.  "I  am  very  old,  and  I  am 
sick,  in  spite  of  the  white  monkeys  that  you  see 
frisking  about  up  there  in  the  rafters.  They  are 
kept  here  to  preserve  us  from  evil  diseases;  but 
all  those  who  were  here  with  me  in  this  palace 
died  within  a  few  days  of  each  other,  of  some 
ailment  which  they  seemed  to  take  from  each 
other,  and  I,  the  oldest  of  all  of  them,  am  the 
only  survivor. 

"For  several  years  I  have  been  alone — the 
only  White  Elephant — and  the  greatest  anxiety 
has  been  felt  in  Court  Circles  on  this  account. 


33 


34       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

No  others  could  be  discovered,  notwithstanding 
the  incessant  hunts  which  were  made  throughout 
the  forests.  It  was  thought  that  great  misfor- 
tunes menaced  the  Kingdom,  and  your  arrival 
has  caused  rejoicings  throughout  the  country." 

"Why  is  it  that  they  consider  us  so  import- 
ant?" asked  I.  "What  is  there  extraordinary 
about  us*?  Among  elephants  they  seem  rather 
to  despise  us!" 

"I  understand,"  said  Prince-Formidable,  "that 
men,  when  they  die  are  transformed  into  ani- 
mals ;  the  noblest  into  elephants,  and  Kings  into 
White  Elephants.  We  are  therefore  ancient 
Kings;  though,  for  my  part,  I  have  no  recollec- 
tion of  having  been  either  a  man  or  a  King." 

"Nor  I  either,"  said  I.  "I  don't  remember 
anything  at  all!  But  is  it  then  on  account  of 
envy  that  the  gray  elephants  dislike  us*?" 

"No,"  said  Prince-Formidable.  "Those  of  us 
who  have  not  lived  among  men  are  mere  brutes, 
and  don't  know  anything.  They  think  the  colour 
of  our  skin  results  from  disease,  and  so  consider 
us  inferior  to  themselves;  while  on  the  contrary 


ROYAL    ELEPHANT   OF    SIAM  35 

it  is  really  a  sign  of  Royalty.  .  .  .  You  see  what 
poor  ignorant  creatures  they  are!" 

I  admired  the  wisdom  and  experience  of  my 
new  friend,  who  had  lived  so  long  and  seen  so 
much.  I  never  tired  of  asking  him  questions,  and 
he  replied  with  an  inexhaustible  good  nature. 

To-day  I  am  able  to  translate  in  words  what 
he  was  obliged  to  tell  me  in  the  very  limited  lan- 
guage of  elephants.  Over  and  over  he  had  to 
begin  again  and  repeat;  but  he  was  never  im- 
patient, although  he  was  himself  so  superior,  and 
had  long  understood  the  language  of  men. 

"Attention!"  said  he  to  me,  upon  hearing  the 
sound  of  distant  music.  "Here  are  the  Talapoins^ 
who  are  coming  to  give  you  their  benediction." 

He  tried  to  make  me  understand  who  they 
were,  but  although  I  pretended  out  of  politeness 
to  do  so,  I  had  not  in  reality  the  least  idea  of 
what  was  meant,  except  that  it  was  some  new 
honour  that  was  to  be  conferred  upon  me. 

The  Talapoins  had  shaven  heads,  and  their 
ears  stood  out,  and  they  wore  long  yellow  gowns 
with  big  sleeves. 

4 


36       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

On  entering  they  did  not  prostrate  themselves 
— and  I  confess  this  shocked  me  somewhat !  The 
oldest  marched  in  the  centre.  He  stopped  be- 
fore me,  and  began  talking  in  a  queer  voice,  very 
high  and  unpleasant ;  then,  without  stopping  his 
remarks,  he  took  from  the  hand  of  one  of  his 
followers  a  mop  with  an  ivory  handle,  while  an- 
other one  held  a  basin  of  water,  in  which  he 
dipped  the  mop,  and  commenced  to  sprinkle  me 
in  a  way  that  displeased  me  exceedingly.  He 
squirted  the  water  in  my  eyes  and  ears,  and  as 
it  lasted  longer  than  I  thought  needful,  I  seized 
the  mop  out  of  his  hand,  and  sousing  it  well  in 
the  water  I  shook  it  over  all  three  of  them — giv- 
ing as  good  as  I  had  received ! 

They  escaped,  laughing  and  wiping  their 
faces  with  their  long  sleeves,  and  I  gave  a  loud 
scream  of  triumph,  to  proclaim  my  victory,  and 
my  satisfaction!  .  .  .  But  Prince-Formidable 
did  not  approve  rny  conduct — he  thought  it 
lacked  dignity. 

Soon  after  this  they  came  to  take  us  to  the 
bath.  A  slave  marched  in  front,  striking  cymbals 


ROYAL    ELEPHANT    OF    SIAM  37 

in  order  to  make  way  for  us,  and  others  held  over 
our  heads  magnificent  umbrellas.  It  was  in  our 
own  park  that  the  beautiful  pond  was  situated, 
and  I  was  allowed  this  time  to  plunge  and  swim, 
and  roll  over  as  long  as  I  wanted. 

A  repast  as  plentiful  as  it  was  delicious  ended 
the  day,  which  had  certainly  been  to  me  in  every 
way  most  satisfactory. 

It  continued  in  this  manner,  from  day  to  day, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Talapoins,  who  never 
returned. 

Only  one  hour  in  the  day  was  somewhat  dis- 
tressing to  me.  It  was  my  daily  lesson,  which 
I  had  to  take  each  evening,  before  going  to  bed. 

The  man  who  had  first  sat  upon  my  head  re- 
mained my  principal  guardian — my  "Mahout/* 
and  he  had  to  teach  me,  and  make  me  understand 
the  indispensible  words  of  command,  such  as 
"Forward,"  "Backward/5  "Kneel,"  "Rise," 
"Right,"  "Left,"  "Halt,"  "Faster,"  "Slower," 
"That's  Right,"  "That's  Wrong,"  "Do  It 
Again,"  "That's  Enough,"  "Salute  the  King?' 

Prince-Formidable  assisted  me  by  translating 


38       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

i 

these  orders  to  me  in  elephant-speech,  so  that  I 
soon  knew  all  that  was  needful. 

Several  years  passed  in  this  way  very  pleas- 
antly, but  rather  monotonously.  Prince-For- 
midable died  the  second  year  after  my  arrival. 
They  gave  him  a  Royal  Funeral  and  all  the 
Court  went  into  mourning. 

For  a  while  I  was  alone.  Then  other  White 
Elephants  came  in;  but  the  new  ones  were  very 
ignorant,  and  seemed  sulky  and  rebellious  in 
their  dispositions — so  that  I  took  but  little 
notice  of  them. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   DOWRY   OF   THE   PRINCESS 

ONE  day  my  Mahout,  who  like  all  others  of  his 

class,  had  the  habit  of  making  long  discourses 

(which  I  finally  grew  to  understand) ,  came  and 

stood  before  me,  as  he  always  did  when  he  wished 

me  to  listen. 

I  at  once  became  attentive,  for  I  saw  from  his 
agitated  air  that  something  of  importance  was 
concerned. 

"King-Magnanimous,"  said  he,  "ought  we  to 
re joice— or  ought  we  to  weep  ?  Is  a  new  life  for 
us  a  good,  or  an  evil  thing*?  Should  one  dread 
change,  or  should  one  welcome  it?  These  ar£ 
questions  which  are  being  balanced  in  my  mind, 
like  the  weights  in  a  pair  of  scales!  You,  who 
are  now  an  elephant,  but  were  once  a  King  could 
tell  me,  if  only  you  could  speak.  You  could  tell 
me  if  the  numerous  transformations,  the  changes, 
have  brought  you  most  joy  or  sorrow.  Your  wis- 

39 


4O       THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

dom  could  put  an  end  to  my  anxiety,  perhaps; 
But  perhaps,  on  the  other  hand,  you  can  look  no 
further  into  the  future  than  I;  and  you  would 
say  to  me,  "Let  us  resign  ourselves  to  what  we 
cannot  help,  and  wait  to  either  weep  or  rejoice, 
till  events  prove  good  or  ill''  .  .  .  Well!  so 
will  we  do.  We  will  resign  ourselves,  and 
wait. 

"That  which  is  about  to  happen  you  know  not 
'. — and  that  is  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you. 

"Our  great  King,  Phra,  Puttie,  Chucka,  Ka, 
Rap,  Si,  Klan,  Si,  Kla,  Mom,  Ka,  Phra,  Puttie, 
Chow  (for  I  cannot  mention  the  King's  name 
without  giving  him  all  his  titles — I  who  am  only 
a  simple  Mahout — when  the  Prime  Minister, 
himself  durst  not  do  so!) — our  great  King  is  the 
father  of  several  Princes,  and  also  of  a  Princess — 
a  beautiful  Princess — who  is  of  a  marriageable 
age.  .  .  .  Well!  that  is  if!  She  is  about  to  be 
married.  The  King  Phra,  Puttie,  Chuck  a  has  be- 
stowed the  hand  of  the  Princess  Saphire-of- 
Heaven  upon  a  Hindu,  the  Prince  of  Golconda : 
and  this  marriage,  which  at  first  would  seem  of 


THE    DOWRY   OF   THE    PRINCESS  41 

little  interest  to  us,  is  going  to  overturn  our 
whole  existence. 

"Know,  King-Magnanimous,  that  your  glor- 
ious person  is  to  form  part  of  the  Dowry  of  the 
Princess.  Yes!  even  so.  Without  asking  your 
pleasure  in  this  affair,  they  have  made  a  gift  of 
you  to  a  stranger  Prince,  who  may  not  have  for 
your  Majesty  the  respect  due  you. 

"And  I — poor  Mahout — what  am  I  without 
the  noble  elephant  whom  I  attend?  And  what 
is  your  Majesty  without  me? 

"Therefore  they  have  also  made  a  gift  of  me, 
and  I  am  now  a  fragment  of  the  royal  dowry. 
We  are  bound  to.  each  other  till  death — we  are 
but  one!  You  go  where  I  conduct  you,  and  I 
must  go  where  you  go.  Oh !  King-Magnanimous, 
ought  we  to  weep  or  rejoice?" 

Really,  I  could  not  say.  And  I  was  greatly 
disturbed  at  what  had  been  told  me. 

To  leave  this  life,  so  sweet  and  tranquil,  but 
which  sometimes  wearied  me  by  its  monotony 
and  inaction  .  .  .  Abandon  this  beautiful  home 
so  abundantly  provided  with  good  things !  .  .  . 


42       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

Surely  this  was  cause  for  weeping !  But  then,  to 
see  new  countries,  new  cities,  meet  with  new  ad- 
ventures— that  was  perhaps  something  to  rejoice 
at1 

CtL  •      •      •      • 

Like  my  Mahout,  I  concluded  the  best  way 
was  to  wait — and  for  the  present  to  be  resigned. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    DEPARTURE 

THE  day  of  our  departure  arrived,  and  very 
early  in  the  morning  the  Slaves  came  to  make  my 
toilet.  They  rubbed  me  all  over  several  times 
with  a  pomade  perfumed  with  magnolia  and  san- 
tal ;  they  placed  on  my  back  a  mantle  of  purple 
and  gold,  and  upon  my  head  a  chaplet  of  pearls 
and  the  royal  diadem.  They  fastened  heavy 
gold  bracelets  on  my  legs,  and  on  my  tusks  gold 
rings  set  with  jewels;  from  each  of  my  ears  there 
hung  down  a  great  tail  of  horse-hair,  white  and 
silky.  Arrayed  thus,  I  was  conscious  of  my  mag- 
nificence, and  longed  to  show  myself  to  the  Peo- 
ple. 

Still,  I  gave  a  backward  glance  at  the  Palace 
I  was  leaving,  and  sounded  a  few  notes  of  fare- 
well to  the  elephants  who  were  remaining,  with 
whom  I  had  begun  to  be  quite  friendly.  They 
replied  by  thundering  outbursts  of  trumpeting, 


43 


44       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WIIIT*, 

the  noise  of  which  followed  me  for  a  long  way. 
All  the  inhabitants  of  Bangok  were  out,  as  on  the 
day  of  my  triumphal  entry.  They  were  in  holi- 
day costume,  and  were  moving  towards  the  pal- 
ace of  the  King.  There  a  splendid  procession 
was  formed  and  began  its  march,  preceded  by  one 
hundred  musicians  dressed  in  green  and  crimson. 

The  King  was  seated  in  a  howdah  of  gold 
fillagree,  on  a  colossal  black  elephant — a  giant 
among  elephants.  On  his  right  and  on  his  left 
were  the  Prince  and  Princess,  on  mounts  of  more 
than  ordinary  size. 

The  howdah  of  the  Bride  was  enclosed  by  a 
fringe  of  jewels  which  rendered  her  invisible. 
The  Prince  was  young  and  handsome;  he  had  a 
charming  expression,  which  at  once  inspired  me 
with  confidence. 

I  followed  next  after  the  King,  conducted  by 
my  Mahout,  who  walked  on  foot  beside  me.  And 
after  me  came  the  Mandarins,  Ministers,  and 
other  high  functionaries,  according  to  rank,  and 
mounted  on  elephants  or  horses,  followed  by 
their  servants,  who  carried  behind  each  noble 


THE   DEPARTURE  45 

lord  the  Tea-pot  of  Honour,  which  in  Siam  is  an 
insignia  of  nobility,  the  greater  or  less  richness 
of  which  indicates  the  importance  of  the  owner. 

Then  came  the  baggage  of  the  Princess,  con- 
sisting of  numberless  boxes  of  teak  wood,  mar- 
velously  carved. 

The  ceremony  of  the  marriage  had  already 
taken  place,  and  had  occupied  eight  days.  This 
was  the  "farewell"  of  the  King,  the  Princes  and 
the  people  to  their  Princess,  whom  they  were 
escorting  to  the  shore,  whence  she  was  to  de- 
part. 

We  stopped  on  the  way  at  the  richest  Pagoda 
in  the  city,  where  they  worship  a  Buddha  carved 
out  of  a  single  emerald,  which  has  not  its  equal 
in  the  world,  for  it  is  three  feet  tall,  and  as  thick 
as  the  body  of  a  man. 

After  this  we  descended  by  narrow  streets, 
traversed  by  bridges  and  canals  to  the  shores  of 
the  river — the  broad  and  beautiful  Mei-nam. 

In  the  distance  were  seen  the  deep  blue  moun- 
tains against  the  brilliant  sky — the  chain  of 
"The-Hundred-Peaks" — the  "Rameau-Sabad" 


46       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

— the  "Hill-of -Precious-Stones"  and  others. 
But  the  spectacle  of  the  river,  all  covered  with 
shipping  bearing  flags,  and  decorated  with  flow- 
ers, was  incomparable ! 

There  were  great  Junks  of  red  and  gold,  with 
their  sails  of  matting  spread  out  like  fans,  their 
masts  carrying  pennants,  and  their  prows 
rounded  and  made  to  imitate  the  head  of  a  gi- 
gantic fish  with  goggle  eyes;  all  sorts  of  boats, 
sampans,  and  rafts,  supporting  tents  of  silk 
which  looked  like  floating  summer-houses!  All 
laden  to  the  water's  edge  with  a  gay  and  noisy 
crowd,  and  with  bands  of  music  and  singers,  who 
played  and  sang  by  turns. 

Salvos  of  artillery,  louder  than  thunder,  burst 
forth  when  the  King  appeared,  and  the  people 
gave  such  a  deafening  shout  that  I  should  have 
died  of  fright,  had  I  not  learned  by  this  time  to 
permit  nothing  to  startle  me. 

The  vessel  which  was  to  convey  us  to  India 
lay  at  the  wharf  with  steam  up,  and  splendidly 
decorated. 

It  was  here  we  were  to  part. 


THE    DEPARTURE  47 

The  King  and  the  Bride  and  Groom  descended 
from  their  elephants.  The  Mandarins  formed  a 
circle;  and  all  the  people  kept  silence. 

Then  the  King,  "Sacred  Master  of  Heads,  Sa- 
cred Master  of  Lives,  Possessor  of  Everything, 
Lord  of  the  White  Elephants,  Infallible,  and 
All-Powerful"  made  a  speech,  while  chewing 
Betel,  which  stained  his  mouth  crimson,  and 
obliged  him  to  spit  frequently  into  a  silver,  basin, 
which  was  held  by  a  slave. 

The  Prince,  kneeling  before  his  royal  father- 
in-law,  also  made  a  speech,  less  long — chewing 
nothing!  The  Bride  wept  behind  her  veils. 

When  it  was  time  to  embark  there  was  some 
confusion  on  account  of  the  Princess's  innumer- 
able boxes  of  teak  wood,  and  because  of  the 
horses,  whom  my  presence  terrified  greatly.  A 
long  whistle  was  heard;  the  musicians  played; 
the  cannon  boomed ;  a  swaying  movement  made 
me  feel  dizzy — and  the  shore  receded. 

All  the  boats  followed  us  at  first  with  oars 
and  sails,  but  were  soon  left  behind.  The  King 
stood  on  the  wharf  as  long  as  he  could  see  us.  I 


48       THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

was  deeply  moved  at  leaving  this  city,  where  I 
had  at  first  suffered  so  severely,  but  where  my 
existence  afterwards  had  been  so  happy  and  glor- 
ious. 

My  Mahout,  leaning  against  me,  we  both 
looked  back.  At  a  turn  of  the  river  all  disap- 
peared; our  eyes  met,  and  both  were  full  of 
tears. 

"King-Magnanimous,"  said  he,  after  a  mo- 
ment of  silence,  "let  us  wait  before  we  either 
weep  or  rejoice.  Let  us  see  what  Fate  has  in 
store  for  us!" 

Soon  the  river  grew  so  broad  that  the  banks 
could  no  longer  be  seen.  The  water  began  to 
move  in  a  singular  manner,  and  the  ship  also, 
causing  me  most  unpleasant  sensations.  Little 
by  little  we  put  out  to  sea.  .  .  .  Then  it  was  hor- 
rible !  My  head  spun  round ;  my  legs  failed  me ; 
an  atrocious  misery  twisted  me  in  the  stom- 
ach. ...  I  was  shamefully  sick,  and  thought  a 
thousand  times  that  I  was  dying!  I  can,  there- 
fore, say  nothing  of  this  voyage,  which  is  the 
most  distressing  memory  of  my  life. 


THE    DEPARTURE  49 

Never,  never  would  I  go  again  to  sea — except 
it  might  be  to  serve  Her.  But  for  any  other  rea- 
son I  would  massacre  whoever  should  compel  me 
to  put  foot  on  a  boat !  .  .  . 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    LIGHT   OF   THE    WORLD 

THE  Rajah  of  Golconda,  my  new  master,  was 
called  Alemguir^  which  signifies,  "The  Light  of 
the  World." 

He  certainly  did  not  show  me  the  respect  to 
which  I  was  accustomed;  he  did  not  prostrate 
himself,  nor  even  salute  me;  but  he  did  better 
than  either — he  loved  me. 

From  the  first  he  spoke  kind  words  to  me,  not 
in  my  quality  of  "White  Elephant,"  which  is  a 
distinction  much  less  thought  of  in  India  than 
in  Siam,  but  because  he  found  me  intelligent, 
good-tempered,  and  obedient — more  so  than  any 
of  his  other  elephants.  He  remembered  me  and 
came  to  see  me  every  day,  and  saw  to  it  that  I 
was  not  allowed  to  lack  anything. 

He  had  changed  my  name  from  "King-Mag- 
nanimous" to  "Iravafa"  which  is  the  name  of  the 

elephant  who  bears  the  God  Indra.     The  title 

so 


THE    LIGHT   OF   THE    WORLD  51 

was  certainly  sufficiently  honourable,  and  I  was 
easily  consoled  for  being  no  longer  worshipped 
as  an  idol  by  the  pleasure  of  being  treated  as  a 
friend. 

Alemguir  would  have  preferred  that  his 
Queen,  Saphire-of-Heaven  should  always  use 
me  as  her  mount;  but  she  never  would  consent  to 
install  herself  on  my  back.  .  .  .  "It  would  be  a 
sacrilege!"  said  she,  "and  a  grave  offence  to  one 
of  my  Ancestors!" 

She  was  persuaded  that  I  was  one  of  her  fore- 
fathers, undergoing  a  transformation  for  the  time 
being. 

Her  husband  rallied  her  good-naturedly  upon 
the  subject,  but  she  would  not  yield. 

So  he  gave  her  a  black  elephant,  and  kept  me 
for  his  own  service. 

I  was  proud  to  carry  my  Prince  in  promenades, 
in  festivals,  and  in  Tiger  hunting,  which  he 
taught  me. 

My  life  was  much  less  indolent  than  in  Siam, 
and  much  more  varied  and  interesting.  My  Ma- 
hout, in  spite  of  the  trouble  that  this  stirring  ex- 

5 


52       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

istence  imposed  upon  him  also  found  it  pleas- 
anter  than  the  monotony  of  the  old  life — and  as 
usual  he  confided  his  sentiments  to  me ! 

I  was  also  instructed  in  the  art  of  war,  for  dur- 
ing the  year  following  the  marriage  of  Alemguir 
with  Saphire-of-Heaven  grave  anxieties  came  to 
darken  the  happiness  of  the  young  married 
couple. 

A  powerful  neighbour,  the  Maharajah  of  My- 
sore sought  without  ceasing  to  fasten  a  quarrel 
upon  the  Prince  of  Golconda,  concerning  certain 
questions  of  boundaries. 

Alemguir  did  all  in  his  power  to  avoid  hostili- 
ties, but  the  ill-will  of  his  opponent  was  evident, 
and  in  spite  of  the  conciliatory  efforts  of  the  am- 
bassadors, a  war  seemed  imminent.  The  Princess 
wrote  to  her  father,  the  King  of  Siam,  who  sent 
cannon,  and  a  few  soldiers;  but  the  enemy  was 
formidable,  and  the  apprehensions  of  all  in- 
creased from  hour  to  hour. 

One  day  the  Ambassadors  returned  in  dismay ; 
diplomacy  had  failed,  negotiations  were  at  an 
end,  and  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore  declared  war. 


THE    LIGHT   OF    THE    WORLD  53 

The  necessary  preparations  were  made  in 
haste;  and  one  morning  I  was  invested  with  my 
armour.  A  sheathing  of  horn  covered  me  and 
descended  below  my  knees;  on  my  head  was  a 
helmet  of  metal,  with  a  visor  of  iron,  perforated 
with  holes  for  the  eyes,  and  a  point  projected 
from  the  middle  of  the  forehead.  My  crupper 
and  flanks  were  defended  by  flexible  armour,  as 
was  my  trunk,  which  had  a  ridge  running  down 
the  centre  armed  with  pointed  teeth  of  metal; 
and  upon  my  tusks  were  steel  casings,  sharp  and 
cutting,  which  lengthened  them  greatly  and 
made  of  them  terrific  weapons. 

Thus  accoutred,  my  Mahout,  who  was  also  in 
armour,  and  weighed  more  heavily  than  usual 
upon  my  neck,  guided  me  to  the  portico  of  the 
Palace  overlooking  the  great  Courtyard,  where 
were  assembled  all  the  chiefs  of  the  army.  Prince 
Alemguir  appeared  at  the  entrance,  and  the  of- 
ficers saluted  him  by  clashing  their  arms. 

He  was  magnificent  in  his  warlike  array.  He 
wore  a  tunic  of  gold-linked  armour,  under  a  light 
breastplate  studded  with  diamonds;  he  carried 


54       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

a  round  shield  that  blazed  with  jewels,  and  his 
helmet  was  gold  with  a  diamond  crest. 

Standing  upon  the  upper  steps  of  the  portico 
he  harangued  his  troops;  but  as  I  did  not  then 
understand  Hindustani  I  do  not  know  what  he 
said. 

When  he  was  about  to  mount,  the  Princess 
SapHire-of -Heaven  rushed  out  of  the  Palace,  fol- 
lowed by  all  her  women,  and  threw  herself,  sob- 
bing into  the  arms  of  her  husband. 

"Alas!"  cried  she,  "what  will  become  of  me, 
separated  from  you*?  How  shall  I  endure  the 
continual  anguish  of  knowing  you  exposed  to 
wounds  and  death?  The  heir  which  we  hoped 
would  be  born  in  joy  and  festivity,  now  will 
enter  life  amid  tears  and  despair!  Perhaps  he 
will  be  born  an  orphan — for  if  the  father  is 
killed,  the  mother  will  not  survive !" 

I  listened  to  this  and  felt  my  heart  ache  under 
my  coat  of  horn. 

The  Prince,  much  affected,  could  hardly  re- 
strain his  tears.  He  made  an  effort,  however,  to 
master  his  emotion,  and  replied  with  calmness. 


THE    LIGHT   OF   THE    WORLD  55 

"Every  man/'  said  he,  "owes  his  life  to  his 
Country;  and  the  Prince  more  than  any  other 
man.  Our  honour,  and  the  welfare  of  our  people 
are  more  dear  to  us  than  our  own  happiness.  We 
must  set  an  example  of  courage  and  self-sacrifice, 
instead  of  allowing  ourselves  to  be  softened  by 
tears. 

"If  the  war  proves  cruel  to  me — and  I  die — 
you,  my  beloved  Wife,  will  live  to  bring  up  our 
Child;  and  hereafter  we  shall  find  each  other, 
and  be  forever  happy  in  the  life  to  come!" 

He  gently  disengaged  the  clasp  of  her  delicate 
arms.  The  veil  of  the  Princess  caught  on  the 
breastplate  of  the  Prince  and  was  torn.  The 
Prince  gathered  a  fragment,  and  kept  it  as  a  talis- 
man. 

And  now  Alemguir  was  in  the  howdah,  and  it 
was  to  me  that  the  Princess  appealed,  with 
breathless  sobs. 

"Iravata,  thou  who  art  strong,  and  who  lovest 
thy  Master,  and  who  ought  to  love  me,  for  thou 
hast  the  soul  of  one  of  my  Ancestors.  .  .  . 
Guard  the  Prince !  Protect  him,  and  bring  him 


56        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

back  to  me  living — for  if  he  comes  not  back  I 
shall  die!" 

Speaking  these  words  the  Princess  became  as 
pale  as  snow,  and  fell  fainting  into  the  arms  of 
her  servants. 

I  made  a  resolve  in  my  heart  to  defend  my 
Master  with  all  my  might,  and  not  to  fail  in 
risking  my  life  for  the  safety  of  his. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  swoon  of  the  Prin- 
cess, which  made  her  unconscious,  Alemguir  gave 
the  signal  to  depart. 

We  left  the  Palace,  and  then  the  City,  to  join 
the  main  army,  which  was  encamped  outside  on 
the  plains. 

The  Artillery  and  the  Elephants  were  placed 
in  the  centre ;  the  Horsemen  on  the  right  and  left, 
and  the  foot-soldiers  in  front  and  at  the  rear. 

The  trumpets  sounded  a  warlike  march;  the 
drums  beat;  the  whole  army  gave  a  shout — and 
we  marched  on  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

BATTLE 

WHAT  a  fearful  thing  is  a  battle !  How  ter- 
rible— how  grand!  It  intoxicates,  and  stuns 
you.  The  music,  the  roar  of  the  cannon,  the  fir- 
ing, the  shouts  of  the  combatants ;  the  tumult,  the 
smoke,  the  dust — excite  in  you  a  strange  mad- 
ness, which  makes  you  hate  the  creatures  which 
you  can  scarcely  see — whom  you  have  never 
known,  and  who,  for  no  other  reason,  are  filled 
with  the  same  murderous  rage  towards  you ! 

At  first  I,  who  had  never  killed  anything  but 
tigers,  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  shedding 
human  blood.  I  hesitated — I  avoided  giving 
blows.  But  suddenly  I  saw  my  Master  in  dan- 
ger; a  horseman  was  aiming  at  him  at  close  range. 
He  had  not  time  to  fire — my  armed  tusks  disap- 
peared in  the  belly  of  the  horse,  which  I  lifted 
high  up  in  the  air,  and  whose  bleeding  carcass  I 
tossed,  with  its  rider,  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy. 

57 


58       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

From  that  moment  it  was  carnage  where  I 
went.  I  pierced.  I  cut.  I  disembowelled  all  be- 
fore me — making  corpses  of  the  living,  and 
crushing  to  pulp  the  dead  under  my  great  feet, 
which  soon  were  shod  with  blood. 

The  Prince  encouraged  me  by  his  voice,  and 
pushed  constantly  forward.  His  gun,  which  a 
soldier  behind  him  reloaded  as  fast  as  it  was 
discharged,  was  never  silent,  and  his  aim  was  so 
sure  that  he  never  missed.  The  Enemy's  ranks 
crumbled  before  us.  And  Alemguir,  full  of 
ardour  urged  me  on  and  on !  He  desired  to  reach 
the  Maharajah  of  Mysore,  who  in  the  centre  of 
his  army  directed  the  battle. 

At  last  he  found  him,  shouted  defiance  at  him, 
and  defied  him  to  meet  him  in  single  combat. 

The  Maharajah  smiled  scornfully  and  did  not 
answer. 

All  at  once  my  Mahout,  who,  being  occupied 
with  guiding  me,  and  less  carried  away  by  the 
fury  of  the  battle,  had  a  better  opportunity  of 
observing  the  situation,  cried  out  in  a  voice  of 
horror,  "Back! — Back! — or  you  are  lost!" 


BATTLE  59 

But  the  Prince  continued  to  shout  "Forward!" 
And  my  Mahout  could  jab  my  ear  as  much  as  he 
chose — I  refused  to  obey ! 

"Prince!  Prince!  You  are  lost!"  groaned  the 
unhappy  slave.  "The  army  of  Golconda  is  in  re- 
treat, and  we  are  surrounded!  It  is  too  late  to 
escape!" 

A  ball  struck  him.  With  a  groan  he  rolled  off 
my  neck,  clinging  an  instant,  deluging  me  with 
blood,  then  he  fell. 

Dead.    He  was  dead ! 

I  stopped,  horrified;  turning  the  body  gently 
over  with  the  tip  of  my  trunk — he  did  not  move ; 
he  did  not  breathe ;  it  was  the  end. 

My  poor  Mahout  had  breathed  his  last  so 
quickly — almost  without  pain.  This  then,  was 
what  "Fate'  had  in  store  for  him! 

I  could  see  him  off  there,  at  Bangok,  saying  so 
gravely  to  me,  "Ought  we  to  rejoice,  or  weep?" 
Alas !  he  was  dead ;  he  could  neither  weep  or  re- 
joice any  more !  .  .  . 

But  around  me  were  shouts  of  triumph.  My 
Master  still  fought. 


60       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

"Take  him  alive!"  cried  the  Maharajah  from 
his  elephant.  "He  shall  die  by  the  hand  of  the 
executioner !" 

I  tried  to  rush  forward  but  my  feet  were  en- 
tangled in  running  knots  which  they  had  thrown 
around  me,  and  my  furious  efforts  only  drew 
them  tighter. 

All  was  ended.  I  was  taken;  and  my  Master 
with  me. 

Poor  Princess  Saphire-of-Heaven !  In  her 
desolate  Palace  she  was  suffering  a  thousand 
times  more  from  fear  and  anxiety  than  we  from 
our  misfortune.  For  her  also  it  was  Fate! 

I  could  hear  her  sweet  voice  entreating  me  to 
bring  back  to  her  her  beloved  husband;  and  be- 
hold! we  were  vanquished — prisoners — and  the 
Prince,  loaded  with  chains,  was  now  listening  to 
the  sentence  that  condemned  him  to  die  a  shame- 
ful death  at  dawn  on  the  morrow ! 

/  was  of  value.  I  made  part  of  the  "spoils." 
And  they  had  no  intention  of  killing  me.  But  I 
had  been  so  terrible  in  battle  that  they  dared  not 
come  near  me. 


BATTLE  6l 

I  set  to  thinking  with  all  the  powers  of  my 
poor,  feeble  mind.  It  seemed  as  if  I  had  best  pre- 
tend to  submit.  I  began  to  feel  the  smart  of  my 
wounds,  and  the  fatigue  of  the  combat;  and  my 
heavy  armour  weighed  on  me  painfully. 

I  began  to  utter  plaintive  moans — as  if  implor- 
ing assistance  from  those  standing  about. 

One  of  them,  seeing  me  so  quiet,  ventured  to 
approach.  I  redoubled  my  moans,  making  them 
very  soft. 

"He  must  be  hurt/'  said  the  man.  "We  must 
look  after  him,  and  take  care  of  him,  for  he  is  an 
animal  of  great  price !" 

All  drew  near.  They  took  off  my  armour,  I 
helping  them  as  well  as  I  could.  When  it  was  off 
I  sank  on  the  ground,  as  if  exhausted. 

I  had  received  a  great  many  wounds,  but  only 
one  was  of  any  consequence;  it  was  near  the 
shoulder. 

They  brought  a  doctor  who  dressed  my 
wounds.  Meanwhile,  I  thought  of  my  Master, 
who,  perhaps,  was  also  wounded,  but  who  was  re- 
ceiving no  care ! 


62       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

I  had  not  failed  to  watch  him,  out  of  the  cor- 
ner of  my  eye,  without  seeming  to  do  so,  while  I 
was  performing  my  little  comedy ! 

I  saw  that  they  had  chained  him  to  a  stake,  and 
that  soldiers  with  arms  in  their  hands  guarded 
him. 

Grief  tore  my  heart:  and  the  groans  that  I 
gave  were  most  sincere — but  it  was  not  my 
wounds  that  caused  them ! 

However,  I  feigned  an  indifference  to  my 
Master.  I  appeared  to  give  no  thought  to  any- 
thing but  myself.  And  I  took  pains  to  be  so 
grateful  to  the  surgeon  for  his  services  that  he 
was  quite  touched,  and  ordered  them  to  take  off 
the  running  knots  which  were  murdering  my 
legs. 

"This  elephant  is  remarkably  gentle"  said  he, 
"Give  him  some  food  and  drink,  for  he  seems 
very  tired  and  feeble — no  doubt  from  the  blood 
he  has  lost!" 

He  went  off  to  attend  others;  and  presently 
they  brought  me  a  good  ration  of  forage ;  vege- 
tables, and  rice,  and  fresh  water  in  a  great  vessel. 


BATTLE  63 

I  thought  of  Prince  Alemguir,  who  was  perhaps 
also  suffering  from  thirst — and  my  throat  grew 
tight!  .  .  . 

However,  we  are  slaves  to  our  enormous  ap- 
petite ;  hunger  soon  subdues  and  enfeebles  us.  I 
must  eat,  in  order  to  be  strong,  and  ready  for 
whatever  was  to  come. 

I  gave  myself  the  airs  of  an  invalid,  disin- 
clined for  food,  and  did  not  raise  myself  up  from 
the  ground. 

So,  giving  no  more  thought  to  me,  they  put  a 
light  rope  on  my  foot  and  fastened  it  to  a  peg, 
and  left  me. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE    ESCAPE 

NIGHT  came ;  fires  dotted  with  their  red  flames 
the  entire  extent  of  the  camp ;  the  smoke  mounted 
straight  in  the  tranquil  air;  I  saw  around  the 
camp-kettles  the  men  crouching,  their  forms 
showing  dark  against  the  light;  then  there  were 
dances,  songs,  and  music.  They  were  celebrating 
the  victory  by  drinking,  shouting  and  quarrel- 
ling; they  even  acted  over  again  their  hand-to- 
hand  struggles,  which  grew  so  furious  that  blood 
flowed. 

Then,  little  by  little,  silence  fell ;  all  was  dark; 
a  heavy  sleep  weighed  upon  the  evening  of  the 
battle! 

Then  I  rose  up  on  my  feet. 

There  was  no  moon,  only  the  great  stars  pal- 
pitated in  the  sky.  I  listened;  I  peered  into  the 
obscurity.  The  tents  formed  little  dark  hillocks, 
undulating  away,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 


THE    ESCAPE  65 

No  sound,  but  the  intermittent  call  of  distant 
sentinels,  who  could  not  be  seen.  Before  the  tent 
where  my  Master  was  imprisoned  two  soldiers  in 
white  tunics  marched  slowly  with  guns  on  their 
shoulders.  I  could  see  clearly  their  long  white 
robes,  and  their  muslin  turbans.  Sometimes  the 
barrel  of  their  gun  sparkled,  reflecting  the  ray 
of  a  star. 

Kill  these  two  men  ?  Deliver  my  Master  ?  and 
escape  with  him?  Would  such  a  thing  be  pos- 
sible? . 

The  sentinels  marched  slowly  around  the 
prisoner's  tent,  walking  in  opposite  directions 
from  each  other,  so  that  all  sides  of  the  tent  were 
constantly  under  observation. 

How  to  seize  them  without  their  being  able  to 
give  the  alarm?  .  .  .  Standing  motionless  in 
the  darkness,  I  followed  them  with  my  eyes, 
striving  to  understand  their  movements,  and  the 
different  positions  they  occupied  while  coming 
and  going. 

I  observed  that  one  soldier  in  crossing  his  com- 
panion turned  his  back  to  me,  and  then  disap- 


66       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

peared  behind  the  tent,  and  at  the  same  instant 
the  other  soldier  also  had  his  back  to  me,  while 
making  the  circuit.  A  short  moment  only  elapsed 
before  the  first  one  would  reappear  and  be  facing 
me. 

I  could  not  strike  the  two  guards  at  one  time ; 
and  if  one  saw  me  attack  the  other  he  would 
have  time  to  give  the  alarm,  and  awaken  the 
whole  camp. 

It  was,  then,  during  this  one  brief  moment  that 
I  must  act. 

About  twenty  paces  separated  me  from  the 
tent,  and  this  was  an  added  difficulty — shorten- 
ing still  more  the  available  time  during  which  I 
would  be  unseen ;  but  the  attempt  must  be  made. 

I  tried  to  undo  the  rope  that  tethered  my  foot. 
I  could  not  succeed;  but  with  a  single  jerk  I 
pulled  up  the  stake  to  which  I  was  attached. 

I  was  free. 

Choosing  a  favourable  moment  I  took  some 
steps  towards  the  tent.  Then  I  waited  for  the 
soldiers  to  make  another  turn — and  moved  still 
nearer.  I  preserved  the  attitude  of  a  sleeping 


THE    ESCAPE  67 

elephant;  and  they  failed  to  notice  in  the  dark- 
ness that  I  had  drawn  closer. 

Now  was  the  time.  I  must  make  the  attempt 
— at  the  next  turn,  thought  I. 

But  my  heart  beat  so  violently  that  I  was  com- 
pelled to  wait.  My  one  fear  was  that  I  might 
not  succeed;  then,  too,  I  felt  a  repugnance  to 
slaying — by  treachery  as  it  seemed — these  two 
unknown  human  beings.  But  after  all,  was  it 
not  men  who  had  set  me  the  example  of  feroc- 
ity? To  save  my  Master  I  would  have  destroyed 
without  remorse  the  entire  army  of  the  enemy! 

My  self-possession  returned;  and  it  was  with 
the  greatest  coolness  that  I  executed  my  plan. 

The  first  soldier  was  seized  by  my  trunk  and 
strangled,  with  no  sound  except  the  cracking  of 
his  bones.  I  had  just  thrown  aside  his  corpse 
when  the  other  came  face  to  face  with  me. 

He  did  not  cry  out — terror  prevented  him ;  but 
he  instinctively  jumped  backward,  and  so  hastily 
that  he  fell.  .  .  .  The  unfortunate  man  never 
rose ;  my  enormous  foot  falling  upon  him  crushed 
him  to  a  bloody  mass. 

6 


68       THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

I  drew  a  long  breath;  then  I  listened;  in  the 
distance  could  still  be  heard  the  occasional  call 
of  the  sentinels  who  guarded  the  outskirts  of  the 
camp,  of  which  we  occupied  the  centre;  no  doubt 
they  would  soon  be  relieved — and  perhaps  also 
the  guards  of  the  Prince ;  there  was  not  a  moment 
to  spare. 

Yet  I  dared  not  approach  my  Master  sud- 
denly, lest  he  might  utter  an  exclamation  of  sur- 
prise. 

Was  he  sleeping,  the  dear  Prince,  worn  out 
with  fatigue?  Or  was  he  grieving  silently  over 
the  loss  of  his  liberty,  and  his  life? 

I  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do;  and  the  anguish  of 
knowing  that  the  moments  were  slipping  by 
made  my  skin  creep ! 

All  at  once  an  idea  came  to  me.  I  pulled  up 
on  one  side  the  stakes  that  held  the  tent,  and  tak- 
ing the  canvas  by  the  lower  edge,  I  turned  it 
half-way  over,  just  as  a  strong  wind  might  have 
done.  There  remained  nothing  between  us,  and 
I  saw  the  Prince  seated  on  the  ground,  his  elbow 
on  his  knee,  his  head  resting  on  his  hand. 


THE    ESCAPE  69 

He  raised  his  head  quickly,  and  saw  my  giant 
form  outlined  against  the  starry  sky. 

"Iravata!  my  friend,  my  companion  in  misfor- 
tune !"  murmured  he. 

Tears  came  to  my  eyes ;  but  there  was  no  time 
for  anything  of  that  kind !  I  touched  the  chains 
of  my  Master,  feeling  them  to  judge  of  their 
weight.  They  were  nothing  for  me.  With  one 
blow  they  were  broken — first  those  on  the  feet, 
and  finally  the  heavier  one,  which,  attached  to  a 
belt  of  iron,  chained  the  Prince  to  a  gallows. 

"What  are  you  doing?  How  is  it  that  you 
are  free*?"  said  Alemguir,  who,  by  degrees,  was 
recovering  from  his  prostration. 

All  at  once  he  understood;  he  sprang  to  his 
feet. 

"Why!  you  are  liberating  me! — You  are  go- 
ing to  save  me !" 

I  made  a  sign  that  it  was  so,  but  that  we  must 
be  quick.  Calm  and  resolute  now,  he  cast  off  the 
remnants  of  his  shackles.  I  showed  him  the 
tether  on  my  foot,  and  the  stake  that  dragged 
after  it.  He  stooped  down  and  unfastened  the 


7O       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

cord;  then  I  helped  him  to  mount  up  on  my 
neck.  .  .  .  Oh!  what  joy  to  feel  him  there 
again !  But  we  were  far  from  being  out  of  dan- 
ger. 

He  spoke  no  more.  He  concentrated  all  his 
attention  upon  directing  our  flight  through  the 
darkness. 

Coming  out  of  the  obscurity  of  the  tent,  he 
could  see  all  the  better,  and  from  on  high  he 
could  look  about  him,  listen  to  the  voices  of  the 
sentinels,  and  ascertain  something  of  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  camp,  and  of  its  extent,  and  its 
nearest  limits. 

He  bent  forward,  darting  his  looks  in  every 
direction;  but  it  was  impossible  to  pierce  the 
darkness  for  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  ad- 
vance. 

Avenues  had  been  formed  between  the  tents, 
which  had  been  placed  in  fairly  even  lines;  but 
these  pathways  would  naturally  be  guarded,  and 
the  Prince  judged  it  would  be  safer  to  glide  be- 
hind the  tents  in  their  confused  and  indistinct 
shadows. 


THE    ESCAPE  71 

Notwithstanding  our  appearance  of  heaviness, 
and  our  massive  corpulence,  we  have  the  faculty 
of  walking  as  noiselessly  as  a  cat  or  a  panther. 
A  whole  herd  of  elephants  on  the  march,  if  they 
suspect  any  danger,  can  avoid  snapping  a  twig, 
or  rustling  a  leaf.  The  most  acute  hearing  will 
fail  to  detect  the  sound  of  their  footsteps;  and 
whoever  sees  them  filing  past  by  hundreds 
would  take  them  for  phantoms.  It  would  be 
quite  proper  to  say  "as  light  as  an  elephant" — 
but  I  imagine  the  idea  never  occurred  to  any  one. 

This  peculiarity  explains  how  I  was  enabled 
to  circulate  between  these  thousands  of  tents, 
scarcely  seeing  my  way,  and  obliged  very  often 
to  pass  through  an  opening  barely  larger  than 
my  own  person,  without  running  against,  or 
overturning  anything,  and  without  making  a 
noise  that  would  have  betrayed  us. 

We  had  now  reached  the  limits  of  the  encamp- 
ment, which  were  by  no  means  easy  to  pass,  for 
they  had  been  rapidly  fortified,  ditches  had  been 
dug,  and  entrenchments  thrown  up.  But  the 
work  having  been  hastily  done  was  not  very  solid. 


72       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

The  Prince  leaned  down  close  to  my  ear,  and 
said  to  me : 

"Try  to  break  down  the  earth  wall,  and  turn 
it  into  the  ditch  so  as  to  fill  it  up." 

I  understood,  and  went  to  work.  The  ground 
was  still  soft  and  yielded  readily;  but  I  could 
not  prevent  a  dull  thud  when  it  fell  into 
the  ditch.  It  was  a  very  feeble  smothered 
sound  .  .  .  and  yet  to  me  it  seemed  tremendous ! 

At  last  the  opening  was  made.  I  passed 
through,  plodded  across  the  mud  in  the  bottom 
of  the  ditch,  and  succeeded  in  climbing  up  the 
other  side. 

We  were  out  of  the  camp,  and  I  joyfully 
quickened  my  pace. 

But  a  cry  resounded — a  cry  of  alarm.  They 
had  seen  us  in  the  open  space,  which  I  was  cross- 
ing now  at  full  speed.  .  .  .  "Beware,  Master!" 
I  seized  him  and  placed  him  cross-wise  upon  my 
tusks,  supporting  him  with  my  trunk,  and  with- 
out slackening  my  pace.  My  quick  ear  had  de- 
tected the  sound  of  loading  guns — they  were  go- 
ing to  fire  upon  us;  but  my  Prince,  protected  by 


THE    ESCAPE  73 

the  bulk  of  my  great  body  would  be  in  no  dan- 
ger. 

A  sudden  light  flashed  in  the  darkness;  there 
was  a  rattling  volley  of  shots,  and  a  shower  of 
bullets  struck  my  crupper.  They  bounded  off, 
for  these  little  leaden  pellets  are  incapable  of 
penetrating  the  tough  hide  of  an  elephant.  They 
merely  stung  me  like  little  pricks  of  red-hot  iron. 

A  second  discharge  fell  short,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  single  ball  which  grazed  my  ear,  and 
carried  off  a  small  piece. 

I  ran  still  faster,  hoping  to  gain  the  shelter 
of  a  thicket  which  at  least  would  protect  us  from 
the  bullets. 

Just  as  I  reached  it  I  heard  the  sound  of  gal- 
loping horses. 

"We  are  pursued,"  said  Alemguir.  He  had  re- 
sumed his  place  on  my  neck.  I  plunged  into  the 
thickest  of  the  woods,  making  a  pathway  by  the 
aid  of  my  tusks,  crushing  the  branches  under  my 
feet.  But  this  delayed  us;  it  also  betrayed  our 
course,  and  left  an  open  road  for  our  enemies. 

There  seemed  no  way  of  meeting  this  danger, 


74       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

and  I  trembled  with  an  anxiety  that  for  the  mo- 
ment paralyzed  me. 

My  Master,  full  of  courage,  spoke  soothingly 
to  me. 

"Calm  yourself/'  said  he,  "there  is  no  cause  for 
despair;  you  know  how  horses  fear  you;  if  they 
reach  us  you  have  only  to  turn  and  fall  upon 
them  to  terrify  them,  and  put  them  to  flight!" 

But  although  I  could  not  say  so  in  words,  my 
thought  was,  The  shots  can  reach  my  Master! 

However,  I  took  courage,  and  managed  to 
push  on  still  faster.  The  day,  which  comes  so 
early  in  summer,  began  to  break.  A  dull  con- 
tinuous noise  now  became  audible,  and  drowned 
the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs. 

"That  must  be  a  river,"  said  Alemguir.  "If 
we  can  but  reach  it  and  put  it  between  us  and  our 
pursuers,  we  shall  be  saved." 

I  raised  my  trunk,  snuffing  the  air  to  discover 
the  direction  of  the  water,  and  changed  my 
course.  The  wood  now  became  less  dense;  I  ad- 
vanced more  easily  between  the  young  trees  and 
saplings  which  I  crushed  under  foot;  and  we  soon 


THE    ESCAPE  75 

found  ourselves  beside  a  rapid  river  which  flowed 
in  the  depths  of  a  ravine.  The  water,  which 
boiled  in  places  and  ran  with  a  dizzy  swiftness, 
had  dug  for  itself  a  bed  in  the  clayey  soil,  and 
flowed  as  it  were  between  two  walls. 

"Alas!"  said  the  Prince;  "that  which  I  hoped 
would  be  our  salvation  is  going  to  be  our  ruin ! 
It  will  never  be  possible  to  descend  to  the  level 
of  this  river." 

To  my  mind  it  was  difficult — but  not  impos- 
sible. And  as  there  was  no  time  to  waste  in  re- 
flection, I  went  to  work  at  once  digging  the  clay 
with  my  tusks,  stamping  it  down  with  my  feet, 
and  throwing  it  right  and  left,  in  a  way  to  form 
a  sort  of  incline ;  but  when  I  thought  I  might  risk 
myself  upon  it  the  earth  crumbled  away,  and, 
sliding  down  the  sticky  mud,  I  shot  into  the  water 
more  quickly  than  I  had  intended,  with  a  tre- 
mendous splash  that  sent  the  water  up  into  the 
air  to  an  amazing  height.  Luckily,  my  Master 
had  been  able  to  cling  to  my  ear,  and  was  none 
the  worse.  So  I  was  soon  relieved,  though 
astounded  at  my  sudden  descent. 


76        THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

The  current  now  carried  us  along,  and  I  floated 
with  it.  It  saved  me  all  exertion,  and  I  reposed 
deliciously  in  the  cool  refreshing  water,  which 
restored  my  strength.  The  Prince  also  was  in- 
vigorated. He  leaned  over  several  times  to 
drink  out  of  the  hollow  of  his  hand. 

Suddenly  he  turned  his  head. 

"Here  come  our  enemies!"  said  he. 

The  horsemen,  following  the  pathway  which 
I  had  made  in  the  woods,  had  reached  the  banks 
of  the  river;  they  saw  us,  and  riding  along  the 
borders  they  started  in  pursuit  of  us. 

The  Prince  watched  them  closely. 

"They  are  taking  aim,"  cried  he,  "give  your 
War-cry!" 

I  tore  up  from  the  bottom  of  my  lungs  the  most 
terrible  yell  in  my  power !  It  was  a  success ;  and 
the  echoes  repeated  it  as  if  they  would  never 
stop.  It  did  not  fail  to  produce  the  effect  my 
Master  expected.  The  horses  were  terrified  and 
reared  in  disorder,  and  the  shots  scattered,  with- 
out reaching  us. 

"We  know  how  to  defend  ourselves  for  the 


THE    ESCAPE  77 

present,"  said  Alemguir;  "some  of  the  men  are 
unhorsed,  and  the  others  have  all  they  can  do  to 
control  their  animals." 

Having  my  back  turned,  I  could  see  nothing, 
but  was  greatly  rejoiced  at  what  I  heard. 

The  current  continued  to  carry  us  on,  and 
there  was  no  way  of  landing  on  the  other  side, 
which  presented  only  a  straight  wall,  while  on 
the  side  of  our  foes  the  shore  was  becoming  less 
and  less  steep. 

The  soldiers  of  Mysore,  having  succeeded  in 
quieting  their  steeds,  now  gained  rapidly  upon 
us;  but  it  was  a  peril  of  another  kind  that  sud- 
denly alarmed  me.  I  felt  the  water  beginning  to 
draw  me  on  with  increasing  swiftness,  as  though 
being  attracted  towards  a  gulf.  I  struggled  vig- 
ourously  against  the  current,  endeavouring  to 
draw  backwards,  but  I  could  affect  but  little  its 
course,  which  had  become  fearful  in  its  rapidity. 
The  Prince  shared  my  anxiety. 

"Help  me,"  said  he,  "to  stand  upright  on 
your  neck,  so  that  I  can  see  what  is  this  new 
danger." 


78       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

I  held  up  my  trunk,  and  he  leaned  against  it, 
steadying  himself  by  means  of  it. 

"Don't  hesitate/'  shouted  he  in  a  trembling 
voice.  "Throw  yourself  onto  the  shore  where  our 
enemies  are — the  river  is  going  to  fall  in  a  cata- 
ract down  into  a  horrible  abyss !" 

I  swam  with  all  my  might  towards  the  shore; 
but  a  force  greater  than  mine  drew  me  towards 
the  fall,  from  which  we  were  now  distant  only 
about  a  hundred  yards. 

"Courage!  courage!"  called  my  Master. 

I  made  a  desperate  effort,  straining  every  mus- 
cle, and  putting  forth  every  ounce  of  strength 
that  I  possessed.  But  I  was  out  of  breath, 
stunned  by  the  fearful  roar  of  the  cataract,  now 
so  near,  and  blinded  by  the  spray  of  the  boiling 
waters. 

I  felt  that  hope  was  at  an  end.  And  I  was 
about  to  abandon  effort  when  I  felt  the  ground 
under  my  feet.  That  revived  me ;  in  two  strokes 
I  was  within  a  few  yards  of  the  shore,  standing 
on  a  bottom  of  solid  rock,  my  flanks  panting  with 
a  cruel  lack  of  breath. 


ORTED    WITH    RAGE    I    RAN    AT   HIM,    SEIZED   HIM    WITH    MY   TRUNK   AND 
DRAGGED   HIM   FROM   THE   SADDLE 


A   SPLENDID   PROCESSION   WAS   FORMED   AND   BEGAN   ITS   MARCH.      I   FOLLOWED 
NEXT   AFTER   THE   KING 


THE    ESCAPE  79 

The  Prince,  whose  limbs  I  could  feel  still 
trembled,  stroked  me  with  his  hand  and  spoke 
gently  to  me.  The  water  ran  foaming  between 
my  legs  as  though  they  were  the  piers  of  a  bridge ; 
but  it  could  no  longer  carry  me  away. 

The  soldiers  now  rode  up  with  shouts  of  joy, 
and  were  preparing  to  aim  at  their  ease,  when 
"Charge  them!"  ordered  my  Master. 

I  thundered  my  war-cry,  and  rushed  at  them 
from  the  water,  with  my  trunk  uplifted. 

The  horses  took  fright,  plunging  and  seizing 
the  bit;  a  number  of  them  ran  off  "ventre-a- 


terre." 


The  captain  of  the  soldiers  was  furious;  mas- 
tering his  horse  by  means  of  the  spurs,  he  fired. 
The  ball  passed  so  close  to  the  head  of  Alemguir 
that  it  singed  his  hair.  At  this,  transported 
with  rage,  I  ran  at  him;  I  seized  him  with  my 
trunk,  and  dragged  him  out  of  the  saddle.  At 
the  shriek  which  he  uttered  his  companions,  in- 
stead of  coming  to  his  rescue,  left  him  and  fled. 

For  a  moment  I  balanced  him  in  the  air,  like 
a  trophy;  then  I  tossed  him  into  the  middle  of 


8O       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

the  river,  where  he  fell  with  a  splash  almost  as 
great  as  the  one  I  myself  had  made  recently. 

The  wretch  struggled  for  a  moment,  and  then 
was  swept  on  and  dashed  over  the  cataract. 


CHAPTER   X 

GANESA 

THE  sun  was  shining  now,  and  dried  us  with 
its  warmth.  We  were  saved.  And  this  joy  com- 
pensated for  all  the  sufferings  we  had  endured. 

The  Prince  dismounted;  standing  before  me, 
he  gazed  gratefully  upon  me. 

"Had  it  not  been  for  thee,"  he  said,  "at  this 
moment  my  head  would  be  rolling  in  blood ! 

"During  our  flight  our  safety  depended  on 
each  moment  as  it  passed — not  an  instant  could 
be  spared — and  I  have  only  been  able  to  thank 
thee  in  my  heart.  But  now,  before  this  shining 
Sun,  I  desire  to  express  the  feelings  that  thy  de- 
votion, thy  heroism,  have  inspired  in  me.  Oh! 
Iravata,  had  it  not  been  for  thee,  Saphire-of- 
Heaven,  in  robes  of  mourning,  would  have  wept 
my  death;  without  thee  I  should  never  have  lived 
to  behold  my  child !  My  name  would  have  been 
dishonoured  by  a  disgraceful  death,  my  King- 

81 


82        THE    MEMOIRS    OF   A    WHITE    ELEPHANT 

dom  conquered  and  ravaged — whereas,  my  life 
being  saved,  all  can  be  regained.  And  this  I 
owe  to  a  being  whom  men  deem  inferior  to  them- 
selves !  Ah !  the  Princess  of  Siam  was  right.  It 
is  indeed  a  Royal  Soul  that  is  hidden  in  thy  rough 
body!" 

I  was  greatly  embarrassed  by  so  much  praise : 
and  I  could  not  make  it  understood  that  if  I  had 
a  "Soul,"  it  was  simply  a  good,  plain,  elephant 
soul — all  full  of  affection  for  him  who  had  been 
the  first  to  treat  me  as  a  friend. 

He  stroked  me  softly  with  his  hand,  and  gaz- 
ing at  me  smiled  kindly;  while  I  by  all  the  means 
in  my  power — flapping  my  ears — snorting — and 
shuffling  my  feet,  expressed  my  delight. 

"I  swear  to  you,"  said  the  Prince,  "that  here- 
after you  shall  always  be  treated  as  an  equal,  and 
looked  upon  as  my  best  friend !  .  .  . 

"But  let  us  move  on;  our  enemies  may  return 
in  force,  now  that  my  escape  must  be  known  to 
all." 

We  descended  a  steep  hill,  parallel  with  the 
waterfall,  and  found  ourselves  in  a  beautiful 


GANESA  83 

fertile  plain,  through  which  the  river,  grown 
tranquil  and  shallow,  ran  gently  over  a  bed  of 
rocks  and  pebbles.  I  was  able  to  wade  across 
with  ease  a  short  distance  below  the  cataract, 
which  fell,  scattering  itself  in  snowy  foam,  which 
the  sunlight  filled  with  sparkling  rainbows. 
Here  was  the  leap  we  had  so  nearly  taken !  One 
could  but  tremble  to  look  at  it,  in  spite  of  the 
loveliness  with  which  Nature  had  adorned  it. 

I  looked  for  the  horseman  who  had  been 
dashed  to  pieces  there,  but  not  a  trace  of  him  was 
left. 

When  we  reached  the  other  side  we  found  the 
plain  covered  with  fresh  grass,  growing  in  thick 
tufts.  My  Master  told  me  to  eat. 

"See!  there  is  a  fine  meal  for  you,"  said  he, 
"which  you  should  take  advantage  of  at  once.  I 
am  sorry  that  I  cannot,  like  you,  breakfast  on 
green  bushes!  .  .  .  For  it  is  a  long  time  since 
I  have  tasted  food!" 

But  how  could  I  eat  when  he  was  suffering  the 
pangs  of  hunger?  I  continued  on  my  way,  as 
though  I  had  not  heard. 

7 


84       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

"I  understand  you  well,  Iravata,"  said  the 
Prince.  "You  are  refusing  to  eat  because  I  am 
compelled  to  go  fasting.  But  this  will  not  do.  I 
know  the  requirements  of  your  vast  stomach — 
those  of  men  are  more  patient!" 

I  was  above  all  tortured  with  thirst,  and  I 
drank  my  fill  from  the  river. 

"Eat,  Iravata — your  stomach  being  empty 
will  not  fill  mine !" 

I  pulled  off  here  and  there  bunches  of  leaves 
and  grass,  but  without  stopping.  I  looked  every- 
where for  signs  of  some  houses  or  villages. 

"That  is  useless,"  said  the  Prince,  who  de- 
vined  my  thoughts.  "They  robbed  me  of  all  I 
had,  and  did  not  leave  me  a  diamond,  or  a  rupee ; 
and  I  am  not  yet  so  vanquished  by  misfortune  as 
to  be  willing  to  beg!  I  have  only  succeeded  in 
saving  my  royal  Signet.  The  idea  came  to  me  to 
remove  from  my  finger  the  ring  on  which  it  is 
engraved,  and  conceal  it  in  my  mouth.  But  I 
cannot  barter  this  Seal,  which  will  serve  to  iden- 
tify me,  for  the  sake  of  food.  I  must  wait  till 
we  find  people  who  are  capable  of  understanding 


GANESA  85 

the  significance  of  my  ring,  and  who  will  fur- 
nish me  with  the  means  of  reaching  my  King- 
dom." 

My  Master  was  right.  He  could  not  sell  his 
ring. 

I  hurried  my  steps  to  get  out  of  this  detestable 
prairie,  which  seemed  to  have  no  end.  But 
though  I  travelled  on  and  on,  the  same  fresh 
grass  and  herbage  surrounded  us,  with  from  time 
to  time  a  few  tall  trees  which  bore  no  fruit;  and 
not  a  sign  of  any  human  habitation  was  to  be 
seen. 

The  Prince  had  gathered  some  large  leaves 
with  which  to  cover  his  head,  and  protect  it  from 
the  burning  rays  of  noon,  and  had  also  placed 
some  on  mine,  knowing  how  the  heat  distresses 
us. 

Some  cultivated  fields  now  appeared,  and 
presently  a  group  of  giant  bamboos,  and  in  their 
midst  an  edifice  of  stone,  in  the  form  of  a  bee- 
hive. 

"It  is  a  Shrine,"  said  Alemguir.  "Let  us  not 
fail  to  render  homage  to  the  God  it  shelters, 


86       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

who  meets  us  thus  on  our  way,  before  going  any 
further.  Our  prayers  finished  it  will  be  well  to 
rest  ourselves  in  the  shade  of  the  trees." 

What  a  surprise  when  I  stood  before  the  en- 
trance of  the  Chapel !  The  stone  God  which  ap- 
peared in  the  depths  on  a  dais  of  velvet  was  a 
Man  with  the  head  of  an  Elephant ! 

"Ganesa!  the  God  of  Wisdom!"  cried  the 
Prince.  "It  is  no  chance  that  has  brought  us  here 
before  Him,  to  whom  more  than  to  all  the  others 
I  should  offer  thanks !" 

He  knelt  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  and  prayed  in 
a  low  voice.  During  this  time  I,  who  could  not 
enter  the  small  and  narrow  building,  examined 
this  strange  God,  who  on  the  body  of  a  Man 
bore  a  head  like  mine,  and  held  the  tip  of  his 
trunk  in  his  right  hand ! 

I  could  see  the  upper  part  of  the  altar  which 
was  hidden  from  my  Master,  being  above  his 
head.  There  were  fresh  offerings  in  plates  and 
bowls — Oh!  joy!  Cakes,  melted  butter,  and  va- 
rious fruits — enough  to  feed  a  man  for  three 
days! 


GANESA  87 

My  trunk  reached  the  Altar.  As  the  Prince 
finished  his  prayers  I  placed,  one  after  another, 
the  plates  and  dishes  before  him. 

"Offerings  !"  cried  he.  "Certainly  I  would  not 
venture  to  take  them  notwithstanding  my  ex- 
treme need;  but  offered  by  thee  I  may  not  refuse  ; 
it  seems  as  if  the  God  himself  bestowed  them 
on  me.  .  .  .  And  perhaps  thou  art,  thyself, 


nesa!" 

I  was  not  "Ganesa"  but  a  very  happy  ele- 
phant. My  Master  ate;  and  there  grew  in  this 
place  all  sorts  of  grasses  and  plants  that  were 
quite  to  my  taste. 

We  slept  during  the  hot  hours  of  the  day;  and 
later  we  reached  an  inhabited  place,  which  was 
evidently  near,  judging  from  the  fresh  offerings, 
and  also  from  the  odours  which  my  acute  sense 
of  smell  detected  in  the  air. 

It  all  seemed  delicious,  after  what  we  had  en- 
dured; and  if  it  was,  indeed,  Ganesa  who  had 
helped  us  out  of  all  our  troubles,  as  the  Prince 
seemed  to  think,  I  felt  disposed  to  thank  him 
most  devoutly  —  and  even  to  pray  to  him  daily. 


88       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

For  if  it  is  possible  for  us  to  have  a  God — cer- 
tainly it  is  Ganesa  who  should  be  the  God  of 
all  Elephants.  .  .  . 


CHAPTER   XI 

WE   ARE   TAKEN    FOR   ROBBERS 

VARIOUS  adventures  befell  Prince  Alemguir 
and  myself  at  Beejapoor,  which  was  the  first  city 
to  be  reached  after  leaving  the  chapel  of  Ganesa, 
and  where  we  were  obliged  to  remain  several 
months. 

The  English  (the  real  masters  of  India)  were 
in  great  numbers  in  Beejapoor,  which  contained 
the  Residence  of  a  Governor. 

While  here  we  were  secure  from  any  hostile 
act  on  the  part  of  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore,  him- 
self an  English  subject,  and  permitted  to  retain 
his  sovereignty  only  by  payment  of  a  tribute ;  but 
other  dangers  threatened  us ;  first  of  all,  my  Mas- 
ter was  taken  for  a  thief  I 

Seeing  him  wan,  emaciated,  almost  naked, 
stripped  of  everything,  his  wrists  and  ankles 
scarred  with  the  marks  of  chains,  they  would  lis- 
ten to  nothing  he  said. 

89 


9O       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A  .WHITE    ELEPHANT 

They  suspected  him  of  having  escaped  from 
prison — and  what  they  accused  him  of  stealing 
was  nothing  other  than  myself! 

They  were  about  to  confiscate  me,  and  sepa- 
rate us,  but  upon  their  venturing  to  lay  hands 
on  me  my  scream  of  rage  scattered  and  sent  fly- 
ing both  the  police  agents  and  the  idlers  that  had 
gathered  about,  like  a  flock  of  sparrows ! 

The  constables  returned  later,  and  finally 
agreed  that  the  unknown  stranger  might  possibly 
be  the  owner  of  the  elephant,  but  he  must  go 
before  a  Magistrate,  and  make  explanations,  and 
the  matter  would  then  be  decided. 

I  placed  my  Master  upon  my  tusks,  as  I  had 
done  once  before  to  protect  him  from  the  ene- 
my's bullets,  and  carrying  him  thus,  to  the  great 
astonishment  of  the  crowd,  I  followed  the  police 
agents. 

The  Magistrate,  notwithstanding  the  evi- 
dence, put  us  through  various  tests,  in  order  to 
assure  himself  that  the  fugitive  was  really  my 
owner;  but  concluded  that  even  if  such  were  the 
case  it  did  not  prevent  him  from  being  a  dan- 


WE   ARE   TAKEN    FOR   ROBBERS  Ql 

gerous  person — a  possible  "spy" — or  secret  emis- 
sary of  conspirators — and  that  he  had  best  be 
lodged  in  jail. 

Alemguir  repeatedly  demanded  to  be  brought 
before  the  Governor  of  Beejapoor,  to  whom  he 
could  explain  his  situation;  but  the  Governor 
was  absent  on  a  hunting  expedition,  and  days 
passed  without  his  return. 

The  Prince  would  have  endured  all  these  trials 
with  fortitude  had  not  his  mind  been  tortured 
by  the  thought  of  Saphire-of-Heaven,  who  might 
be  dying  of  grief  and  anxiety. 

The  retreat  of  the  Army  had  doubtless  made 
her  aware  of  the  defeat  and  capture  of  her  hus- 
band. But  since  then  she  had  heard  nothing. 
She  might  suppose  him  killed,  and  might  refuse 
to  survive  him.  .  .  . 

The  Governor  finally  returned,  and  the  Prince 
at  once  claimed  an  audience  of  him. 

Sir  Percy  Murray  was  a  tall,  thin  man,  with  a 
white  beard  and  bright,  pleasant,  blue  eyes — 
very  affable  in  manner,  and  with  an  air  of  frank- 
ness and  good  humour. 


92       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

After  the  Prince  had  informed  him  who  he 
was,  and  had  shown  him  his  Royal  Signet-ring 
and  recounted  his  misfortunes  and  adventures, 
the  Governor  expressed  regret  at  the  annoyances 
which  his  own  over-zealous  subordinates  had 
caused  during  his  absence,  and  invited  him  to  be 
his  guest  at  "Jasmine  Cottage"  in  the  suburbs 
of  the  city. 

My  Master  urged  that  he  be  supplied  with  the 
means  of  returning  at  once  to  Golconda,  where 
his  absence  might  occasion  disasters;  but  Sir 
Percy  Murray,  in  spite  of  his  civilities  could  not 
(so  he  said)  allow  an  unknown  person  to  leave 
without  being  assured  of  his  identity;  he  would 
be  blamed  in  high  places — "and  might  even  for- 
feit his  position" — said  he! 

But  he  advised  Alemguir  to  write  to  his  wife 
and  direct  her  to  send  some  well-known  residents 
of  Golconda,  and  if  possible  an  English  witness, 
to  come  and  identify  the  Prince ;  and  this  done, 
if  he  proved  to  be  the  person  he  claimed  to  be, 
he  would  at  once  be  set  at  liberty. 

While  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  envoys  the 


WE   ARE   TAKEN    FOR   ROBBERS  93 

Governor  of  Beejapoor  made  every  effort  to  en- 
tertain the  Prince  agreeably.  His  hospitality 
was  most  cordial ;  his  family,  numerous  and  full 
of  gayety  and  good  spirits  joined  him  in  offering 
open-air  festivals,  receptions  and  balls.  And 
my  Master,  if  not  diverted,  was  at  least  much  in- 
terested by  the  customs,  so  new  to  him,  of  Eng- 
lish Society. 

At  last  the  messengers  returned  with  a  letter 
from  Saphire-of-Heaven,  and  accompanied  by 
the  Uncle  of  the  Prince,  and  several  friends,  who 
wept  over  him  for  joy,  as  they  had  recently  done 
for  sorrow. 

Alemguir,  treating  me  as  a  friend,  as  he  al- 
ways did,  came  and  read  to  me  the  letter  of  the 
Princess,  and  announced  that  we  were  to  leave 
the  next  day. 

"If  it  were  possible  for  you  to  travel  by  rail- 
road," added  he,  "we  could  arrive  the  same  even- 
ing; but  it  would  be  difficult,  and  it  might  cause 
you  distress!  .  .  . 

So  that  I  was  not  asked  to  go  by  Sea,  I  was 
willing  to  travel  in  any  sort  of  way — and  I  made 


94       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

my  Master  understand  that  I  was  quite  ready  to 
go  by  train,  so  it  was  settled  in  that  way. 

I  was  installed  in  a  great  open  car,  the  floor 
covered  with  a  thick  bedding,  and  with  an  awn- 
ing overhead;  and  I  was  assisted  to  mount  by 
means  of  a  broad  gang-plank  placed  at  an  easy 
incline. 

One  would  have  supposed  that  they  had  never 
before  seen  an  elephant  take  a  train,  for  there 
were  a  lot  of  boobies  on  the  platform  who  had 
come  to  see  me  embark. 

The  Prince  advised  me  to  lie  down  so  as  to 
avoid  the  jolting  as  far  as  possible.  And  after 
bidding  farewell  to  the  Governor  and  the  Eng- 
lish officers  who  had  escorted  him  to  the  station, 
he  entered  his  carriage,  and  the  doors  were 
closed. 

A  whistle  sounded,  and  the  train  started.  Not 
being  used  to  travelling  in  a  carriage  the  motion 
caused  me  a  slight  vertigo — but  nothing  to  com- 
pare with  the  abominable  agonies  of  the  voyage 
from  Siam  to  Ceylon;  and  the  thought  of  arriv- 
ing before  night  filled  me  with  joy,  and  enabled 


WE   ARE   TAKEN    FOR   ROBBERS  95 

me  to  endure  with  patience  my  discomfort,  while 
with  increasing  rapidity  we  ran,  full  speed  to- 
wards Golconda.  .  .  . 


CHAPTER   XII 

PARVATI 

DURING  our  absence  a  little  Princess  had  been 
born  in  the  Palace  of  Golconda. 

Alemguir,  overflowing  with  joy,  brought  her 
to  show  me,  in  her  baby  robes  of  lace. 

What  a  darling  she  was!  How  pretty,  and 
fragile.  .  .  .  She  was  like  a  Flower ! 

Her  little  hand  held  a  golden  rattle,  and  round 
her  neck  was  a  string  of  great  pearls  that  looked 
like  drops  of  frozen  milk. 

They  had  called  her  Parvati,  which  is  the  name 
of  a  Goddess.  I  was  filled  with  deep  emotion  at 
the  sight  of  her.  My  heart  beat  violently.  .  .  . 
But  I  could  only  express  my  feelings  by  awk- 
wardly shuffling  from  one  foot  to  the  other. 

Saphire-of-Heaven  had  been  at  the  point  of 
death,  and  they  had  concealed  from  her  the  re- 
verses of  the  army,  and  the  defeat  and  capture  of 

her  husband,  the  Prince.    She  had  learned  at  one 

96 


PARVATI  97 

and  the  same  time  of  the  dangers  he  had  encoun- 
tered, and  of  his  present  safety.  And  the  antici- 
pation of  seeing  her  husband  so  soon  had  aided 
her  convalescence. 

When  she  learned  the  part  I  had  played  in  his 
escape,  she  came  solemnly  to  thank  me.  To  my 
great  embarrassment  she  knelt  before  me,  and  did 
me  homage,  as  they  had  done  in  Siam.  Then  she 
declared  that,  as  my  poor  Mahout  had  been 
killed  in  battle,  I  should  never  have  another,  but 
should  only  be  waited  on  by  servants,  having 
shown  an  intelligence  so  superior  as  to  make  it 
unnecessary  to  exercise  control  over  me. 

I  was  hereafter  to  be  allowed  complete  lib- 
erty, in  the  Park,  and  throughout  the  Domain, 
both  in  the  city  and  in  the  country,  whenever  I 
chose  to  walk  out  by  myself. 

Then  began  for  me  a  most  delightful  exist- 
ence. I  felt  as  if  I  had  been  elevated  to  the  dig- 
nity of  a  human  being!  And  the  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility attached  to  this  new  condition 
inspired  me  with  the  resolve  to  avoid  at  all  times 
giving  trouble,  or  creating  disturbance — and  of 


98       THE    MEMOIRS   OF   A   WHITE    ELEPHANT 

proving  myself  worthy  of  the  trust  reposed  in 
me. 

Oh!  what  pleasure  to  leave  the  city,  and  go 
out  into  the  fields  and  on  to  the  forest! — and 
to  roam  freely  under  its  branches,  treading  the 
underbrush,  pulling  up  the  young  trees,  as  of 
old,  without  being  obliged  to  consider  and  re- 
strain my  motions,  as  I  was  forced  to  do  so  often 
in  surroundings  that  were  too  small  for  my 
stature. 

I  was  able  now  to  use  some  of  my  extra 
strength,  and  this  rested  and  soothed  me  delight- 
fully. .  .  . 

But  after  a  few  hours  I  began  to  feel  how  im- 
possible it  would  be  for  me  to  endure  the  former 
solitude — how  superior  to  myself  I  had  become ; 
and  how  entirely  weaned  from  savage  life. 

A  restlessness  would  seize  me,  a  desire  to  see 
my  Masters — my  Friends,  rather!  ...  A  fear 
of  being  lost,  abandoned — of  not  being  able  to 
find  my  way  back  came  upon  me. 

I  would  hasten  towards  the  city,  relieved  as 
soon  as  I  saw  the  walls  of  Golconda — its  domes. 


PARVATI  99 

the  colour  of  snow — its  slender  minarets,  more 
beautiful  than  the  palms  of  the  forest!  Once 
inside  the  walls,  I  loitered  about  the  streets, 
sauntering  through  the  bazaars,  where  everyone 
took  pains  to  offer  me  something  good. 

Then  I  would  enter  the  Palace,  and  my  first 
thought  was  always  to  seek  the  little  Princess 
Parvati.  I  would  find  her  surrounded  by  her 
nurses  and  maid-servants,  among  gardens,of  jas- 
mine and  roses,  and  I  would  stand  and  watch.her 
from  a  distance,  absorbed  in  delighted  admira- 
tion. 

Slowly  I  watched  her  bloom,  from  day  to  day, 
from  month  to  month;  soon  she  was  able  to  roll 
about  on  the  flowery  lawn,  and  walk,  on  hands 
and  feet,  like  a  young  animal ;  then  she  stood  up 
and  began  to  take  her  first  steps  among  out- 
stretched arms.  .  .  . 

8 


CHAPTER   XIII 

MY    PRINCESS 

ONE  day — a  day  that  is  a  burning  point  in  my 
memory — the  little  Princess  was  rather  more 
than  a  year  old,  and  was  able  to  run  and  jump 
finely;  it  was  a  short  distance  from  a  pretty  lake 
bordered  with  lotus  blossoms  of  all  colours;  her 
governesses  were  playing  checkers,  seated  on 
rugs  under  the  trees,  while  Parvati  ran  from 
flower  to  flower,  chasing  a  splendid  butterfly. 

I  followed  her  with  my  eyes,  interested  in  the 
pursuit.  The  brilliant  wings  escaped  her  con- 
tinually, fluttered  on,  and  lighted  further  off; 
she  grew  impatient,  and  more  and  more  eager  in 
the  chase,  following  the  thousand  zig-zags  of  the 
beautiful  pink  and  blue  butterfly,  which  seemed 
like  a  winged  flower. 

To  my  mind  the  little  Princess  was  straying 
too  far  away,  and  approaching  dangerously  near 
the  borders  of  the  lake. 


100 


MY    PRINCESS  101 

Why  did  they  not  call  her  back? 

I  looked  over  at  the  women.  Two  of  them 
were  playing  checkers ;  all  the  others  were  watch- 
ing the  game,  bending  over  the  checker-board, 
and  arguing  about  it  with  great  volubility;  they 
were  completely  absorbed,  and  not  one  was  giv- 
ing attention  to  her  whom  they  were  employed  to 
watch  over. 

Trembling  with  indignation,  I  was  about  to 
run  to  them  and  upset  their  checker-board,  when 
I  beheld  Parvati  on  the  very  brink  of  the  water, 
and  still  running  forward — the  butterfly  had 
lighted  on  a  lotus.  I  was  paralyzed  with  an- 
guish, but  not  for  long;  for  in  an  instant  the 
little  Princess  had  fallen,  without  a  splash,  or  a 
cry  that  might  have  aroused  attention. 

In  three  bounds  I  was  at  the  spot  where  she 
had  disappeared  among  the  lotus  and  the  nenu- 
phars. I  groped  and  rummaged  in  the  water 
with  my  trunk  among  the  matted  stems. 

A  cloud  of  mud  rose  from  the  bottom,  obscur- 
ing everything,  and  the  next  few  seconds  seemed 
to  me  horribly,  horribly  long. 


102       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

All  the  women  now  rushed  up,  uttering  deaf- 
ening cries,  wringing  their  hands  and  tearing 
their  clothing.  It  was  high  time  truly! — but 
much  good  did  it  do!  I  would  have  been  glad 
to  throw  them  all  into  the  lake.  .  .  . 

At  last  I  found  and  grasped  the  poor  little 
Princess,  and  raised  her,  unconscious,  and  as  if 
dead — dripping,  and  covered  with  black  mud. 

The  governesses  attempted  to  take  her  away 
from  me  in  order  to  conceal  their  fault;  but  I 
was  resolved  it  should  be  known,  and,  paying 
no  regard  to  their  clamours,  I  started  to  run  to 
the  palace. 

It  was  a  reception  day;  Saphire-of-Heaven 
was  in  the  great  Hall  of  the  Throne,  surrounded 
by  courtiers  and  the  Ladies  of  her  suite.  I  en- 
tered without  ceremony,  interrupting  the  con- 
versation, and  the  dances  of  the  Bayaderes,  and 
going  straight  to  the  Queen,  I  laid  on  her  knees 
the  child,  all  covered  with  mud,  and  without 
breath  or  motion. 

Saphire-of-Heaven  at  first  could  not  under- 
stand what  had  happened,  and  was  about  to 


MY    PRINCESS  1O3 

throw  off  the  black  mass  which  was  saturating 
her  dress,  but  suddenly  she  recognized  Parvati : 

"My  Daughter!"  exclaimed  she,  "and  in  what 
a  condition !  Dead,  perhaps !" 

A  physician  was  present  and  advanced. 

"Calm  yourself,  your  Majesty,"  said  he,  "It  is 
only  a  fainting  fit." 

He  took  the  child,  removed  its  wet  clothing, 
gave  orders,  and  all  present  hastened  to  busy 
themselves  in  services  to  the  little  Princess. 

The  governesses  had  entered  all  in  confusion 
behind  me.  They  now  undertook  to  explain 
matters,  all  talking  together,  with  protestations, 
adjurations,  and  tears — it  was  totally  incompre- 
hensible. .  .  . 

"Be  silent,"  said  the  Queen;  "Do  not  speak  ex- 
cept to  answer  my  questions !" 

She  then  began  to  interrogate  the  women. 

"The  Princess  Parvati  fell  into  the  lake,"  said 
one  sobbing.  A  negress  added : 

"It  was  the  White  Elephant  who  pushed  her 
in." 

I  gave  her  on  the  instant  such  a  blow  on  the 


104       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

back  with  my  trunk  that  she  fell  to  the  floor. 

"That  woman  has  lied,"  said  Saphire-of- 
Heaven.  "Send  all  of  them  to  prison.  We  shall 
soon  learn  the  truth.  For  the  present  I  must 
think  only  of  my  Daughter !" 

In  spite  of  the  tears  and  supplications  of  the 
women,  their  arms  were  bound  with  silk  cords, 
and  they  were  removed,  while  the  Negress  was 
carried  out  on  a  stretcher. 

Par.vati,  now  revived,  bathed,  and  wrapped  in 
a  veil  of  gold  gauze  lent  by  one  of  the  Ladies, 
was  replaced  on  the  lap  of  the  Queen. 

The  little  darling  seemed  quite  surprised  at 
finding  herself  there,  and  did  not  appear  to  re- 
member anything  that  had  happened.  She  gazed 
at  the  smiling  guests  with  her  beautiful  eyes 
opened  wide  under  their  long,  black  lashes,  then 
shyly,  she  threw  her  arms  around  her  mother's 
neck  and  hid  her  face  on  the  Queen's  breast. 

She  was  not  dead — not  even  hurt.  What  joy ! 
I  shuffled  my  feet,  and  teetered  foolishly  from 
side  to  side,  and  flapped  my  ears,  having  no  other 
way  of  expressing  my  satisfaction. 


MY    PRINCESS  1O5 

''Iravata,"  said  the  Queen,  stroking  my  fore- 
head with  her  gentle  hand,  "We  will  find  out 
what  has  happened,  and  you  shall  assist  us  in 
doing  so.  Never,  never  could  I  doubt  thee,  or 
believe  that  thou  hadst  been  guilty  of  a  wicked 
action.  Perhaps  it  will  prove  that  I  shall  again 
have  to  thank  thee ;  it  may  be  that  I  owe  to  thee 
the  life  of  my  Daughter,  as  I  already  owe  that  of 
my  Husband!" 

It  was  true ;  without  me  our  lovely  little  flower 
would  have  been  lost!  If  I  had  unfortunately 
been  away  from  the  palace  at  the  moment,  wan- 
dering in  the  forest,  or  in  the  bath,  or  eating  a 
meal — or  even  absent-minded,  and  looking  in 
another  direction,  it  would  have  been  a  dead  lit- 
tle girl  that  would  have  been  taken  out  of  the 
water.  I  shivered  at  the  thought !  and  made  up 
my  mind  never  to  lose  sight  of  her  again,  and 
for  this  purpose  I  determined  to  give  up  my  ex- 
cursions, and  my  trips  outside  of  the  city. 

The  disturbance  in  the  palace  had  attracted 
the  notice  of  the  King,  and  it  had  been  impos- 
sible to  conceal  from  him  the  accident  which  had 


106       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

happened  to  the  Princess.  He  came  in,  much  agi- 
tated; but  Parvati  ran  to  him,  laughing,  and 
quite  recovered,  delighted  with  the  long  golden 
veil  in  which  she  was  wrapped,  and  which  trailed 
behind  her,  making  a  noise  on  the  carpet ! 

After  having  tenderly  embraced  his  daughter, 
Alemguir  asked  for  details  of  the  accident,  and 
as  no  one  could  furnish  any,  he  directed  that  a 
search  be  made  at  once  of  the  locality  where  it 
had  occurred. 

"Iravata,"  said  he,  "conduct  us  to  the  spot." 

I  obeyed  immediately.  The  King,  who  carried 
Parvati  in  his  arms,  the  Queen,  and  all  the  guests 
followed  me,  deeply  interested. 

Having  reached  the  borders  of  the  lake,  I 
showed  the  King  the  overturned  checker-board, 
and  all  the  pieces  scattered  about,  as  when  the 
game  was  interrupted.  But  they  failed  to  un- 
derstand what  this  had  to  do  with  the  Princess 
having  fallen  into  the  water. 

They  examined  with  much  emotion  the  spot 
where  she  fell — the  broken  lotus  flowers,  and  the 
turf  all  trampled  by  my  feet. 


PARVATI    RAN   TO   HIM,    LAUGHING   AND   QUITE    RECOVERED 


MY    PRINCESS  1O7 

But  all  this  explained  nothing.  Who  was  the 
guilty  one  *?  Who  should  be  punished  *? 

The  women  were  brought  again  and  ques- 
tioned. But  they  continued  to  lie,  making  state- 
ments that  were  contradictory,  but  all  accusing 
me. 

"He  came  past  us  like  a  hurricane,  terrifying 
us  to  death!  The  Princess  was  running  on  be- 
fore him,  and  he  pushed  her  into  the  lake." 

"And  then,"  inquired  Alemguir,  "who  rescued 
her?" 

"We  did — we  did :  but  the  Elephant  snatched 
her  away  from  us  and  ran  to  the  palace !" 

The  Prince  looked  at  me,  and  I  made  a  sign 
that  this  was  not  so. 

"Let  them  be  beaten  till  they  are  ready  to 
speak  the  truth." 

At  once  there  was  a  concert  of  shrieks,  which 
redoubled  in  shrillness  when  the  slaves  appeared 
armed  with  thongs  of  leather. 

The  King  gave  the  word:  the  slaves  seized, 
each  one,  a  woman,  threw  her  onto  her  knees,  and 
administered  a  blow  with  the  lash.  One  was  suf- 


108       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

ficient  to  loosen  their  tongues  and  it  was  a  race  to 
see  which  could  tell  the  story  first. 

"I  am  listening,"  said  the  King,  and  he  desig- 
nated the  one  who  should  be  spokeswoman. 

"Have  mercy  upon  us,  oh  Mighty  King,"  said 
she:  "we  are  guilty!  This  is  what  happened: 
Annanta  was  playing  a  game  of  checkers  with 
Zobeide,  and  the  game  turned  out  very  extraor- 
dinary. We  were  all  looking  on,  interested  in 
spite  of  ourselves,  but  at  the  same  time  keeping 
watch  over  the  dear  Princess,  who  was  gathering 
flowers  and  bringing  them  to  us.  Unfortu- 
nately, we  were  tempted  to  make  wagers,  and  at 
the  decisive  moment  our  attention  was  entirely 
absorbed  by  the  progress  of  the  game.  His  Lord- 
ship, the  White  Elephant,  had  been  standing  for 
a  long  time  looking  through  the  bushes.  All  at 
once  with  a  terrific  roar  he  rushed  through,  tear- 
ing apart  the  branches,  trampling  the  flowers, 
and  ran  towards  the  lake,  from  which  after  a 
moment  he  lifted  the  Princess." 

The  King  approached  me  with  tears  in  his 
eyes. 


MY    PRINCESS  1O9 

"Thou  art  verily  our  Good  Genius,  oh  Ira- 
vata !"  said  he;  "after  saving  me  from  a  shameful 
death,  thou  hast  now  restored  to  me  my  daugh- 
ter !  Certainly  there  is  not  anywhere  upon  earth 
a  man  to  whom  I  owe  such  a  debt  of  gratitude,  as 
to  thee.  Let  those  miserable  women  be  sent 
away  in  exile,"  added  he.  "So  much  for  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  Guilty;  but  how  to  recompense 
worthily  the  Rescuer?" 

I  would  have  been  glad  to  be  able  to  speak,  and 
say  that  no  reward  could  be  more  to  me  than  the 
happiness  of  seeing  them  all  alive,  and  of  being 
allowed  to  live  near  them. 

Saphire-of-Heaven  shed  floods  of  tears  kneel- 
ing at  the  edge  of  the  watery  gulf  that  had  so 
nearly  deprived  her  of  her  child.  All  at  once 
she  rose,  took  Parvati  in  her  arms,  and  held  her 
out  towards  me. 

"Oh,  thou !  my  unknown  Ancestor !  Thou  who 
so  evidently  protects  us,  accept  the  guardianship 
of  my  Daughter ;  I  confide  her  to  thee ;  thou  only 
shalt  watch  over  her,  and  in  that  way  anxiety  and 
dread  will  no  longer  afflict  my  heart !" 


HO       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

The  little  Princess  Parvati  to  be  mine !  Mine 
this  exquisite  human  flower  whom  I  loved  above 
all  else !  It  was  I  who  was  to  protect  and  watch 
over  her,  and  be  always  near  her!  It  filled  me 
with  enthusiastic  delight,  and  I  gave  such  a  for- 
midable blast  of  the  trumpet  that  all  the  guests 
trembled. 

I  stopped  short,  ashamed  and  distressed,  lest 
my  beloved  little  one  might  have  been  fright- 
ened, and  not  care  to  have  me  for  a  guardian. 
But  no,  quite  the  reverse;  she  laughed  and 
clapped  her  little  hands  together,  crying : 

'  'More — more  /' ' 

So  to  please  her  I  trumpeted  again — but  this 
time  rather  less  violently ! 


ELEPHANT   GAMES 

WHAT  a  paradise  for  me  were  the  years  dur- 
ing which  I  was  the  Slave  of  that  Child ! 

She  accepted  me  at  once,  and  a  sympathy  and 
understanding  that  was  extraordinary  existed  be- 
tween us.  She  was  beginning  to  talk,  and  from 
her,  with  no  trouble  at  all  I  learned  Hindostani; 
till  then  an  interpreter  had  been  attached  to  my 
service,  with  no  other  duty  than  that  of  translat- 
ing into  Siamese  such  words  as  it  was  necessary 
for  me  to  understand.  I  had,  of  course,  remem- 
bered a  few — but  very  few — and  rarely  an  entire 
sentence;  but  with  Parvati,  who  was,  herself, 
slowly  but  surely  acquiring  a  language — I  ac- 
quired it  too. 

I  was  the  one  to  whom  she  talked  most,  and 
whenever  I  failed  to  understand  her  she  would 
go  obstinately  over  and  over  the  same  words. 
Generally  it  was  about  some  new  play  that  she 


112       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

had  in  her  mind.  With  a  playmate  like  me  you 
can  imagine  that  the  games  were  far  from  usual ! 

"Swing  me!"  she  would  say. 

Then  I  would  bend  my  trunk  inward  a  little, 
so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  living  arm-chair,  which 
would  support  her  lightly  and  prevent  her  from 
falling,  and  swing  her  gently  back  and  forth. 
Her  laughter  was  like  a  shower  of  pearls,  but  she 
was  never  satisfied. 

"Harder!  Harder!"  she  would  cry,  and  I 
quickened  the  motion  and  sent  her  higher  and 
higher,  until,  when  I  felt  it  was  becoming  dan- 
gerous, I  stopped. 

Then  she  would  get  angry  and  try  to  beat  me. 
But  her  tender  little  hands  hurt  themselves  on 
my  rough  skin,  and  she  would  stop,  ready  to 
cry,  and  say : 

"Hateful  thing !    You  prick  me !" 

To  comfort  her  I  would  stroll  towards  the 
fountain,  and  she  would  follow  clapping  her 
hands.  .  .  . 

"Oh,  yes — yes,  make  the  water-spout." 

This  consisted  in  drawing  up  an  enormous 


ELEPHANT    GAMES  113 

quantity  of  water  (we  are  capable  of  holding  in 
our  stomachs  an  incredible  amount) ,  and  of  rais- 
ing my  trunk  and  spouting  it  out  in  sprays,  jets, 
and  showers.  The  sun  shining  on  the  little  drops 
made  them  sparkle  with  all  the  colours  of  the 
rainbow. 

With  uplifted  head  and  with  ecstatic  eyes, 
Parvati  would  look  on.  She  did  not  laugh  nor 
exclaim,  but  said  gravely : 

"That  is  beautiful!" 

Her  one  fixed  idea  was  to  get  on  my  back  and 
go  for  a  promenade.  But  a  fall  from  such  a 
mountain  as  I  would  have  been  terrible  for  her, 
and  I  opposed  a  firm  resistance. 

At  the  same  time  I  studied  how  I  might  find 
a  way  of  gratifying  her  with  safety. 

After  much  reflection  I  thought  of  something. 
I  pulled  a  number  of  pliant  flexible  reeds,  and 
with  great  effort  and  much  patience,  I  managed 
to  twist  them  together  in  a  manner  to  form  a 
kind  of  basket  or  hammock  which  could  hang 
from  my  neck,  and  in  which  I  carefully  placed  my 
little  Princess.  In  this  way  it  was  as  if  she  were 


114       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

resting  on  my  heart,  and  I  could  watch  over  her, 
shelter  her  from  the  sun,  and  protect  her  from 
any  danger. 

She  was  enchanted  with  my  invention,  and 
Saphire-of-Heaven  was  equally  pleased;  only 
the  Queen  ordered  my  shapeless  work  replaced 
by  a  more  complete  and  perfect  construction. 
The  promenade  now  became  one  of  our  favourite 
pastimes. 

We  went  all  about  the  city,  under  trees  that 
shaded  fountains  of  porphry. 

The  Brahmans  who  passed  in  their  shining 
white  robes,  murmured  a  benediction  on  the 
daughter  of  their  king;  the  cavaliers  whom  we 
met  riding  on  horses  whose  manes  were  braided 
and  decorated  with  fringes,  or  mounted  on  ele- 
phants richly  caparisoned,  saluted  her  with  af- 
fectionate smiles;  the  noble  ladies  stopped  their 
litters  drawn  by  white  oxen  to  speak  a  few  words 
with  her.  But  what  most  pleased  her  was  the 
People,  who  shouted  with  joy,  when  they  saw  her 
coming,  suspended  like  a  Pearl  from  my  neck! 
The  merchants,  the  blacks,  who  all  greeted  her 


ELEPHANT    GAMES  115 

with  acclamations — and  above  all  the  children, 
the  crowds  of  little  friends,  for  whom  she  was 
like  a  Fairy  Queen. 

We  stopped  before  the  •temple  of  Vichnu 
which  rises  like  a  great  bee-hive  of  stone  against 
the  blue  sky.  And  in  a  moment  we  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  world  of  little  children,  half 
dressed,  and  running  bare-footed  in  the  dust, 
laughing,  screaming,  and  making  a  joyous  and 
deafening  noise. 

The  Princess  leaned  forward,  and,  holding  up 
her  little  hand,  imposed  silence  upon  her  sub- 
jects. They  became  instantly  mute,  and  ranged 
themselves  in  a  circle  about  us. 

"Which  of  you  has  been  good?"  inquired  she 
with  a  majestic  air. 

"Me  .  .  .  Me  ..."  the  entire  assembly  re- 
plied invariably  with  one  voice ! 

"If  you  tell  lies  Brahma  will  know  it,  and 
Allah  too,  and  you  will  be  whipped!" 

"No!  No!  Very  good!"  was  the  answer  on  all 
sides. 

"Well  then,  we  will  go  to  the  Bazaar!" 

9 


Il6      THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

At  this  the  shouts  began  louder  than  ever,  and 
like  a  cloud  of  sparrows,  as  soon  as  I  moved  on, 
all  the  little  urchins  jumped  and  capered  around 
us  in  the  dust;  some  of  the  boys  went  so  far  as 
to  turn  summersaults,  a  performance  which  it 
must  be  admitted  enchanted  the  Princess. 

A  purse  filled  with  rupees  was  attached  to  one 
of  my  tusks,  and  we  bought  at  the  Bazaar  all 
sorts  of  dainties  and  pretty  things. 

Each  child,  after  pondering  deeply — usually 
with  its  finger  in  its  mouth — announced  what  it 
would  best  like  to  have;  mangoes,  bananas, 
oranges,  sherbet,  pastry-cakes,  preserves,  or  per- 
haps a  necklace  of  "vamba"  beads  as  red  as  coral, 
bracelets  of  enamelled  clay — a  parasol — slip- 
pers; some  asked  for  a  tunic,  or  a  veil  of  mus- 
lin. .  .  . 

I,  myself  was  never  forgotten.  I  also  was  ex- 
pected to  choose  what  I  would  like,  and  I  always 
selected  a  pastry-shop,  where  my  appetite  was 
allowed  full  sway.  I  gobbled  pies,  cookies, 
cream-cakes,  biscuits,  buns — the  entire  stock.  I 
was  terribly  ashamed  of  my  greediness,  but  could 


'WHICH  OF  YOU  HAS  BEEN  GOOD?"  SHE  INQUIRED 


ELEPHANT    GAMES  llj 

not  restrain  myself.  I  was  the  one  whose  tastes 
were  the  most  expensive ! 

The  change  for  the  last  rupee  I  scattered  in  a 
shower,  and  while  the  little  ones  were  engaged 
in  picking  up  the  bits  of  money  we  left. 

Sometimes  they  ran  after,  and  rejoined  us. 
Then  they  formed  a  ring  and  joined  hands  in 
a  gay  dance,  holding  us  captive  in  their  happy 
circle. 

Parvati  in  her  basket  would  stir  restlessly :  she 
longed  to  get  down  and  mingle  in  the  dance, 
but  her  dignity  of  Princess  forbade  such  a  thing. 
When  I  suspected  that  her  feet  were  getting  the 
better  of  her,  I  broke  through  the  circle  with  a 
stern  motion,  and  carried  her  rapidly  away. 


CHAPTER   XV 

SCIENCE 

THE  education  of  Parvati  had  begun,  to  her 
great  displeasure — and  to  mine.  For  long  hours 
she  had  to  listen  to  the  Brahmans,  instead  of 
playing  with  me,  or  going  to  harangue  the  happy 
little  vagabonds  of  the  city.  Music,  dancing, 
poetry,  writing — it  was  all  terrible !  and  I  could 
hear  my  beloved  weeping — screaming — stamp- 
ing, in  the  midst  of  her  respectful  but  stern  teach- 
ers. 

I  stood  at  the  door  of  the  schoolroom,  helpless, 
with  drooping  head,  replying  with  groans  to  the 
furious  outcries  of  the  rebellious  pupil. 

Sometimes  she  escaped,  all  in  tears,  and  ran 
towards  me,  encircling  my  trunk  with  her  little 
arms,  and  crying : 

"Take  me  away!  Let  us  run  to  the  forest, 
away  from  the  wicked  Brahmans!" 

But  the   head   Brahman   in   his   white   robe 

ix8 


SCIENCE  119 

would  appear,  and  hiding  a  kindly  smile  under 
an  outward  appearance  of  severity,  take  the 
naughty  girl  away  from  me.  .  .  . 

At  last  she  obtained  permission  to  learn  her 
lessons  in  the  basket  hanging  from  my  neck, 
while  I  walked  slowly  along  under  the  trees  of 
the  park. 

I  remember  especially  a  Fable  which  gave  us 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  learn,  the  birds  and 
the  butterflies  so  distracted  our  attention  during 
those  hours  of  Study !  But  we  succeeded  at  last, 
and  if  I  could  only  have  spoken  I  could  have 
prompted  the  little  Princess  many  a  time  when 
she  made  mistakes  in  her  recitations. 

It  was  a  very  pretty  Fable  and  was  intended 
to  teach  us  that  one  cannot  be  too  cautious  in  this 
life.  And,  as  I  still  remember  it,  I  will  give  my- 
self the  pleasure  of  writing  it  down  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  without  the  least  fear  of  making 
any  mistake.  It  was  called: 

The  Crane  and  the  Crawfish 
In  a  beautiful  forest  there  was  a  great  Pool, 


120       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

inhabited  by  all  kinds  of  fish;  on  its  banks  a 
Crane  had  her  dwelling.  This  Crane  was  old, 
and  could  no  longer  catch  the  Fish  to  feed  on 
them.  Therefore,  with  a  throat  contracted  by 
hunger,  she  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  Pool  and 
wept;  she  moistened  the  ground  with  her  tears, 
which  glistened  like  innumerable  pearls. 

Standing  on  one  slender  leg  which  looked  like 
the  stalk  of  a  flower,  and  with  her  neck  curved 
downwards,  the  sly  Crane  deceived  the  silly  Fish, 
who  took  her  for  a  Lotus. 

Now,  a  Crawfish,  accompanied  by  many  others 
of  the  Water-people,  approached,  and  pitying 
the  distress  of  the  Crane,  inquired  respectfully: 

"Friend,  why  is  it  that  you  are  not,  as  usual, 
seeking  your  dinner,  and  why  do  you  utter  these 
tearful  sighs'?" 

"My  child,"  said  the  Crane,  "what  you  have 
observed  is  true.  I  do,  indeed,  make  my  dinner 
ordinarily  of  fish,  but  behold !  I  have  renounced 
all  appetite  for  food,  and  intend  to  let  myself  die 
of  starvation;  so  that  no  matter  how  near  they 
come  to  me  I  shall  never  eat  fish  again!" 


SCIENCE  121' 

When  the  Crawfish  heard  this  she  said : 
"Friend,  what  is  the  reason  for  this  renuncia- 
tion of  all  appetite4?" 

"My  child,"  said  the  Crane,  "I  was  born  and 
brought  up  on  the  borders  of  this  Pool.  I  have 
learned  that  a  terrible  calamity  threatens  it;  an 
absence  of  rain  for  twelve  years  is  aboift  to 


occur." 


"How  did  you  learn  this*?"  asked  the  Craw- 
fish. 

"An  eminent  Astrologer  informed  me,"  replied 
the  Crane.  "Alas!  this  Pool  is  shallow,  it  holds 
but  little  water,  and  will  soon  be  empty;  and 
when  it  is  dry  all  those  with  whom  I  grew  up 
and  played,  will  perish  for  lack  of  water.  I  have 
not  the  courage  to  witness  such  a  catastrophe. 
That  is  why  I  am  fasting  thus,  until  death  takes 
place;  and  I  weep  to  think  that  not  one  of  you 
will  escape !" 

When  the  Crawfish  heard  this  she  repeated  to 
the  other  inhabitants  the  words  of  the  Crane ;  and 
all  the  Fishes,  the  Tortoises,  and  other  Water- 
people  felt  their  hearts  quake  with  fear  and  an- 


122       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

guish.  They  all  gathered  around  the  Crane  and 
cried : 

"Friend,  is  there  no  way  of  saving  our  lives  *?" 

"There  is,"  said  the  Crane,  "not  far  from  here, 
a  fine  Lake  full  of  deep  water,  and  embellished 
with  quantities  of  lotus.  Even  if  Pardjania,  the 
God  of  rain,  should  refuse  to  permit  showers  to 
fall  for  twenty  years,  that  Lake  would  not  be- 
come exhausted.  If,  therefore,  any  of  you  care 
to  mount  up  on  my  back,  I  will  carry  you  to  that 
Lake." 

Now  the  Fishes  had  confidence  in  these  words, 
and  assembled  from  all  sides,  calling  out : 

"Take  me!  ...  Take  me!  ...  Me  first! 
Me  first!"  .  .  . 

The  wicked  Crane  made  them  climb  one  after 
another  onto  her  back,  then  she  flew  towards  a 
great  Rock  situated  a  short  distance  off,  and 
threw  them  all  down  on  it — and  devoured  them 
at  her  ease. 

"Friend,"  said  the  Crawfish,  "it  was  with  me 
that  you  had  your  first  friendly  conversation — 
why  do  you  leave  me  behind,  and  take  the  oth- 


SCIENCE  123 

ers?  Will  you  not  save  my  life  along  with  the 
rest?' 

When  the  wicked  Crane  heard  this,  she 
thought  to  herself,  "I  am  tired  of  eating  fish,  so 
to-day  I  will  take  this  crawfish  for  a  change !" 

So  she  allowed  the  Crawfish  to  mount  on  her 
back,  and  began  the  journey  to  the  Rock  of  sac- 
rifice. 

The  Crawfish  saw  from  a  distance  a  great  pile 
of  bones  on  the  Rock.  She  recognized  them  as 
the  remains  of  the  Fishes,  and  asked  the  Crane : 

"Friend,  how  much  further  is  this  Lake?  Are 
you  not  fatigued  by  my  weight?" 

"Crawfish,"  replied  the  Crane,  "what  makes 
you  think  that  there  is  another  Lake?  I  in- 
vented it,  in  order  to  preserve  my  life.  Now 
then,  call  upon  your  tutelar  Divinity — for  I  am 
going  to  throw  you  down  on  the  Rock,  and  eat 
you!" 

But  no  sooner  had  she  finished  speaking  than 
her  neck,  which  was  as  white  and  as  tender  as  a 
lotus  stem,  was  seized  and  pinched  by  the  claws 
of  the  Crawfish — and  her  life  was  ended. 


124       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

The  Crawfish  then  bit  off  the  neck  of  the 
Crane,  and  quietly  returned  to  the  Pool. 

"Oh,  Crawfish!  Why  have  you  come  back?" 
asked  all  the  Water-people  on  seeing  her.  "Has 
anything  happened?  And  where  is  the  Crane? 
Why  has  not  she  returned?  We  are  disap- 
pointed at  not  seeing  her!" 

When  they  had  spoken  thus  the  Crawfish 
laughed,  and  said : 

"Fools  that  you  are !  The  deceitful  Crane  has 
betrayed  all  the  Fish,  and  has  thrown  them  all 
onto  a  Rock  not  far  from  here,  and  eaten  them. 
Fate  decreed  that  my  life  was  to  be  spared,  and 
I  discovered  her  treachery,  and  cut  her  throat. 
You  need  have  no  further  anxiety;  we  Water- 
people  will  now  be  able  to  live  happily  here- 
after. ..." 

Now,  I  think  that  was  a  very  nice  Fable. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

FINE  CLOTHES 

ALAS!  Parvati  was  growing  up.  She  was  as 
beautiful  as  the  Sun,  and  as  pretty  as  the  Moon ; 
but  she  was  no  longer  the  playful  child  who  cared 
for  nothing  so  much  as  to  be  with  me. 

She  was  now  a  real  Princess,  and  her  mother 
instructed  her  in  all  the  rules  of  etiquette  and  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Court. 

Her  toilet  occupied  her  a  great  deal — she,  who 
till  now  had  thought  nothing  of  tearing  her  tu- 
nics on  any  bramble ! 

As  I  was  privileged  in  every  way  and  allowed 
to  do  as  I  pleased,  I  rarely  left  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  pavilion  in  which  she  lived,  and  al- 
most always  contrived  to  keep  my  Princess  in 
sight,  through  one  or  the  other  of  the  large  win- 
dows, or  else  on  the  verandahs  embowered  in 
flowers. 

It  chanced  very  often  in  this  way  that  I  was 

125 


126       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

permitted  to  watch  the  labours  of  the  dressing- 
maids  (though  I  could  not  see  why  they  took  so 
much  trouble  to  embellish  a  beauty  which  was 
already  so  perfect) . 

The  slaves  would  bring  water  from  the 
Ganges,  in  which  they  bathed  Parvati;  they 
showered  her  with  "santal"  and  powdered  her 
with  safran,  which  gave  her  the  appearance  of 
a  golden  statue.  Then  they  threw  over  her  a 
"sari"  (which  is  a  thin  garment,  as  light  as  a 
mist) ,  and  she  sat  down  cross-legged  on  a  purple 
velvet  cushion.  Then  the  hairdressers  came  for- 
ward ;  and  her  hair,  which  was  as  dark  and  shin- 
ing as  a  river  of  night,  was  divided  into  two 
portions  and  combed,  and  perfumed,  and  orna- 
mented with  pearls  and  jasmine  flowers.  Next 
they  stained  the  palms  of  her  hands  and  the  soles 
of  her  feet  a  beautiful  reddish  orange-colour 
with  "mend hi";  she  nibbled  a  bit  of  "betel"  to 
darken  the  colour  of  her  gums ;  her  long  eyes  and 
thick  eyebrows  were  blackened  with  "surmeh" 
and  her  rosy  lips  were  tinted  blue  with  "missi"; 
on  her  ankles  were  fastened  little  bells  attached 


FINE    CLOTHES  127 

to  golden  rings;  a  golden  girdle  encircled  her 
waist,  and  they  loaded  her  neck  and  arms  with 
necklaces  and  bracelets. 

Arrayed  in  this  way  I  could  hardly  recognize 
her;  she  seemed  so  majestic,  so  dignified — so  dif- 
ferent from  herself,  that  it  saddened  me  a  little 
with  the  feeling  that  she  was  growing  away  from 
me. 

And  now  when  we  went  out  she  was  no  longer 
reclining  in  the  basket  against  my  heart;  she  was 
mounted  on  my  back,  installed  in  a  sumptuous 
"howdah"  with  double  bell-towers  of  gold  and 
curtains  of  pale  green  silk. 

Still  she  would  not  permit  a  servant  to  accom- 
pany us,  nor  any  of  her  suite.  Freedom,  and  my 
companionship  were  still  what  she  liked  best. 

"Do  you  know,  Iravata,"  said  she,  "when  my 
slight  form  is  carried  by  your  colossal  strength,  I 
feel  as  if  I  were  a  Goddess !  I  feel  inaccessible, 
like  the  blue  God  Vichnu,  and  invincible,  like  the 
hero  Rama !  I  seem  made  so  great  by  thy  power, 
and  devotion,  and  courage,  that  my  pride  is  ex- 
alted, and  I  feel  as  if  on  a  throne — like  the  primi- 


128       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

live  Lotus  that  supports  Brahmah.  But  when 
I  dismount  how  humiliated  I  feel  at  being  only 
a  poor  little  princess,  obliged  to  walk  on  the 
ground!" 

On  hearing  this  I  was  so  pleased  that  I  had  to 
shuffle  my  feet,  flap  my  ears,  and  utter  little 
grunts  of  satisfaction ! 

We  no  longer  strolled  about  the  city,  frequent- 
ing the  public  places,  and  the  fountains,  as  in  the 
old  times.  I  promenaded  the  streets  with  a  sol- 
emn dignified  step;  but,  once  outside  of  the  city 
gates,  I  quickened  my  pace  and  sought  the  For- 
est. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE   ABDUCTION 

ONE  day  a  most  culpable  idea  came  into  my 
head.  Parvati  had  for  some  time  past  shown  her- 
self extremely  irritated  by  the  constantly  in- 
creasing demands  of  her  position  as  Princess ;  by 
the  Receptions,  the  Parades,  the  long  disserta- 
tions of  the  Brahmans  upon  the  present  and  the 
future  Life,  and  the  interminable  Poems,  recited 
in  a  monotonous  voice  by  the  court  Poet  in  ref- 
erence to  the  most  insignificant  events  that  oc- 
curred at  the  palace. 

"Oh!"  said  she,  "to  be  free!  to  be  only  a  sim- 
ple mortal!  To  do  only  what  one  likes  to  do! 
without  being  obliged  to  wear  a  mask,  and  force 
oneself  to  smile,  when  one  feels  like  weeping — 
or  to  be  solemn,  when  one  wants  to  laugh!"  .  .  . 

To  be  free!  I  also  thought  of  it  during  the 
long  days  when  I  was  deprived  of  her  companion- 
ship. .  .  . 


129 


13O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

Well !  It  was  easy  enough !  We  had  but  to 
steal  away  to  the  depths  of  the  forest,  and  never 
return ! 

I  refused  to  consider  the  wickedness  of  such  a 
scheme.  I  repelled  all  the  objections  that  might 
have  suggested  themselves,  and  one  day,  leaving 
the  palace  of  Golconda  as  if  for  an  ordinary 
promenade,  I  was  firmly  resolved  never  to  re- 
turn to  it. 

I  gained  the  forest  more  quickly  than  usual, 
and  pushed  on  to  portions  far  beyond  those  where 
we  had  previously  ventured. 

At  this  distance  I  felt  safe.  I  was  quite  sure 
they  could  not  pursue  us,  for  it  had  not  rained 
for  a  long  time,  and  the  dry  ground  showed  no 
trace  of  my  enormous  feet.  Still,  in  order  to 
make  sure,  I  marched  for  half  an  hour  along  the 
bed  of  a  shallow  stream,  to  throw  the  dogs  off  the 
scent,  and  when  I  again  stepped  onto  the  ground 
I  felt  confident  that  I  was  now,  indeed,  to  be  for 
a  long  time  alone  with  my  dear  little  Princess 
Parvati. 

At  last  I  had  quitted  that  Court  where  every- 


THE   ABDUCTION 

thing  combined  to  separate  me  from  my  little 
friend — ceremonies,  etiquette,  the  great  festi- 
vals, and  the  thousand  demands  of  the  toilette, 
which  occupied  her  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  in 
order  that  she  might  never  appear  in  public  twice 
in  the  same  costume. 

Now,  there  would  be  no  more  of  all  that.  She 
was  going  to  live  quietly  and  happily  in  the  for- 
est, like  a  little  Hermit,  served  and  waited  on 
by  a  great  White  Slave !  And  I  would  take  such 
good  care  of  her — serve  her  so  devotedly — 
with  such  thoughtfulness,  such  affection,  such 
love!  .  .  . 

She  was  so  light  on  my  back  that  I  did  not  feel 
her  any  more  than  if  she  had  been  a  green  fly, 
or  a  little  blue-bird  that  had  lighted  on  my  rough 
skin.  But  I  could  hear  her  singing — and  her 
voice  delighted  me.  She  was  singing  a  very  long 
and  very  beautiful  song  which  one  of  her  Maids 
of  Honour  had  taught  her;  it  was  called  the 
"Gita  Govinda"  and  I  think  she  did  not  under- 
stand it  very  well,  but  she  liked  it  all  the  better 
on  that  account. 


10 


132       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

From  time  to  time  I  raised  my  trunk  and  she 
clasped  the  tip  in  her  little  fingers,  and  laugh- 
ingly "shook  hands"  with  me !  She  was  delighted 
with  this  excursion,  for  it  was  the  first  of  the  kind 
she  had  taken.  Of  course,  she  had  heard  of  the 
deep  parts  of  the  forest,  filled  with  bright  flow- 
ers, and  she  knew  that  she  had  not  been  allowed 
to  come  here  for  fear  some  heavy  fruit  might  fall 
on  her  from  a  tree,  or  a  venomous  serpent  dart 
out  upon  her.  She  was  not  fond  of  contradic- 
tions— nor  of  being  thwarted  by  obstacles  of  any 
sort,  and  being  forbidden  to  enter  it,  she  was  all 
the  more  desirous  to  do  so ;  it  was,  therefore,  with 
great  glee  that  she  permitted  her  good  friend 
Iravata  to  conduct  her  to  the  Forbidden  Forest. 

At  the  expiration  of  a  couple  of  hours  we  had 
penetrated  to  the  very  heart  of  the  wild  wood. 

The  trees  overhead  were  of  a  prodigious 
height,  and  their  tops  so  full  of  leaves  that  the 
sunlight  could  not  pass  through.  No  plants 
grew  at  their  feet,  and  there  were  neither  bushes 
nor  vines;  nothing  but  an  endless  number  of  tall 
slender  trunks  without  branches;  it  was  as  if  we 


THE   ABDUCTION  133 

had  entered  the  colonnade  of  an  immense  temple. 
Parvati  was  a  little  afraid  now  of  this  vast  soli- 
tude— this  profound  silence.  She  no  longer 
sang,  and  when  she  spoke  her  voice  sounded 
sad.  .  .  . 

I  hastened,  therefore,  to  go  in  another  direc- 
tion. I  remembered  that  a  short  distance  from 
where  we  were  the  ground  rose  gently  till  it 
formed  a  little  hillock,  which  was  celebrated  for 
its  beauty;  so  I  turned  in  that  direction,  and  soon 
reached  the  spot.  A  perfumed  breeze  wafted 
from  it  the  sound  of  birds  singing  in  the  branches, 
and  Parvati  began  again  her  song. 

This  new  forest  was  wonderfully  beautiful. 
There  were  so  many  flowers  growing  here  that 
as  I  walked  on  and  crushed  them,  my  feet  were 
stained  as  red  as  if  I  had  been  walking  in  blood. 
The  trees  bore  more  flowers  than  leaves,  and 
swarms  of  bees  buzzed  among  the  branches.  Lit- 
tle blossoms  of  blue  and  yellow  bloomed  even  on 
the  trunks  of  the  trees,  having  pierced  the  bark 
with  their  tiny  roots.  There  were  great  beds  of 
tall  plants  which  bore  rich  and  fragrant  bios- 


134      THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

soms.  These  were  the  Sacred  Flower 's,  the  dwell- 
ing place  of  the  Good  Fairies,  who  bestow  great 
joys,  and  fulfill  desires  and  hopes. 

Parvati  wished  to  dismount  and  gather  some 
of  them.  I  wrapped  my  trunk  around  her  slen- 
der waist,  and  placed  her — like  another  flower — 
among  the  crimson  blossoms.  She  picked  seven 
of  the  handsomest,  made  an  opening  in  the  cen- 
tre of  each,  and  threaded  them  on  a  thin  stem, 
which  held  them  together  without  crushing  them. 
Then  she  unfastened  her  hair  and  shook  it  down 
over  her  shoulders,  and  arranged  the  wreath  upon 
her  head  as  best  she  could.  I  had  never  seen  her 
look  so  pretty;  her  royal  head-dresses  were  too 
heavy  and  elaborate  and  weighed  down  her  deli- 
cate head.  I  would  have  preferred  always  to  see 
her  crowned  only  with  this  wreath  of  flowers 
which  she  herself  had  made  without  the  aid  of 
either  slaves  or  mirrors. 

I  replaced  her  gently  on  my  back  and  resumed 
my  march  through  the  forest.  The  vines  had 
now  become  so  numerous  and  so  tall  that  I  could 
no  longer  step  over  them;  sometimes  I  had  to 


THE   ABDUCTION  135 

rise  on  my  hind  legs  and  place  my  forefeet  upon 
a  tangle  of  green  creepers  that  barred  the  way. 
The  weight  of  my  body  was  barely  sufficient  to 
break  through  these  natural  barriers  and  open  a 
path  before  us. 

Often  too,  the  trees  grew  so  close  together, 
and  the  branches  hung  so  low  that  my  dear  little 
Parvati  might  have  been  struck  and  scratched  by 
the  twigs  and  briars;  at  such  times  I  lifted  my 
trunk  and  held  up,  out  of  her  way,  all  that  might 
have  touched  her— -on  whom  I  would  not  have 
permitted  so  much  as  a  flower  to  rest  and  annoy 
her! 

All  that  she  saw  delighted  her.  Great  birds 
flew  by  with  wonderful  feathers,  and  she  re- 
gretted not  being  able  to  catch  them  and  make 
fans  of  their  beautiful  red  and  green  tails.  She 
longed  to  possess  the  little  monkeys  that  chat- 
tered when  they  saw  her,  and  threw  down  little 
nuts  and  fruits  that  lodged  in  her  hair.  She 
wanted  the  big  insects  that  glittered  in  the  sun- 
shine, and  hummed  about  the  clustering  flow- 
ers. .  .  .  Alas !  I  could  not  give  her  any  of  them ! 


136       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

What  is  more,  I  would  not  have  cared  to  continue 
the  excursion  with  a  whole  menagerie  on  my 
back!  To  tell  the  truth  I  was  rather  jealous  of 
the  attention  Parvati  gave  to  all  these  things, 
so  much  more  beautiful  than  I.  ... 

The  sun  was  about  to  set  and  the  forest  was 
transfigured  in  the  red  evening  rays,  when  we 
reached  the  borders  of  a  lake,  all  surrounded  by 
trees,  and  so  overgrown  with  lotus  flowers  that 
the  water  could  hardly  be  seen. 

Parvati  wished  to  dismount;  I  assisted  her — 
but  soon  repented  of  my  imprudence,  when  I  saw 
her  unfasten  her  long  robe  of  silk  and  gold,  throw 
it  on  the  bank,  and  plunge  into  the  shining 
water.  .  .  . 

Like  a  careful  nurse,  I  was  alarmed  lest  my 
little  mistress  should  catch  cold,  and  I  made  des- 
perate signals  to  her  with  my  trunk  to  come 
out.  .  .  .  But  she  only  looked  at  me  coaxingly, 
took  a  lotus  in  each  of  her  hands,  and  crossed  her 
arms  on  her  breast,  as  they  do  before  the  statues 
of  Lachmi,  when  asking  favours  or  returning 
thanks.  So  I  let  her  remain.  I  was  weak 


THE   ABDUCTION  137 

enough  to  permit  her  to  do  so.  ...  She  was  so 
joyous  and  full  of  spirits!  I  could  see  just  her 
little  round  head  among  the  lotus  flowers,  as  she 
pushed  them  aside,  walking  on  the  bottom  of  the 
lake ;  only  her  laughing  mouth  and  brilliant  eyes 
showed  under  her  wet  drooping  hair.  She  left 
behind  her  a  trail  of  perfume  on  which  floated  the 
blue  powder  and  the  santal  that  had  been  scat- 
tered over  her  to  give  her  the  colour  of  the 
skies. 

And  soon  she  might  have  been  taken  for  any 
ordinary  little  girl  had  it  not  been  for  a  look  of 
royalty  that  shone  in  her  eyes. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

RETRIBUTION 

THE  sun  had  set;  Parvati  was  returning  slowly 
to  the  shore  and  preparing  to  resume  her  silken 
robe,  when  she  uttered  a  piercing  shriek,  and  cov- 
ered her  face  with  her  hands — trembling  in  every 
limb.  I  followed  the  direction  of  her  glance, 
and  a  shudder  seized  me  also,  when  I  perceived, 
coiled  in  the  tall  grass,  a  serpent  of  the  most 
venomous  species,  which  had  fixed  its  gaze  on 
Parvati,  prepared  to  spring  as  soon  as  she  should 
place  foot  upon  the  bank. 

Oh!  how  was  I  now  punished  for  my  wrong- 
doing !  The  pain  which  pierced  my  heart  at  see- 
ing Parvati  in  danger  led  me  to  realize  how 
Saphire-of-Heaven  and  Alemguir  must  have  suf- 
fered at  not  seeing  their  beloved  daughter  return 
at  the  accustomed  hour. 

Had  I  then  sunk  to  the  level  of  a  selfish  brute 

— a  being  without  reflection — a  mere  elephant? 

138 


RETRIBUTION  139 

having  had  the  shameful  idea  of  stealing  the 
Princess  away  from  her  family  and  her 
Court.  .  .  .  Now  she  was  perhaps  lost  forever — 
and  I  with  her ;  for  I  was  resolved  not  to  survive 
her  if  she  perished  from  the  venom  of  this  fright- 
ful reptile. 

These  distracting  thoughts  rushed  with  ter- 
rible rapidity  through  my  head,  and  almost  de- 
prived me  of  my  presence  of  mind.  Fortunately, 
it  returned  to  me.  I  uttered  a  sudden  roar,  and 
at  the  same  time  leaped  towards  the  serpent,  who, 
surprised  and  alarmed,  quickly  unwound  its 
coils,  and  hid  itself  in  the  leaves. 

It  now  turned  towards  me — spitting  and  hiss- 
ing— and  this  was  what  I  desired,  to  distract  its 
attention  from  the  Princess.  She  now  left  the 
water,  and  climbed  once  more  onto  the  bank;  she 
was  safe.  But,  clasping  her  hands,  she  called  to 
me,  imploring  me  to  be  careful  of  the  bite  of  the 
fearful  creature,  and  urging  me  to  escape  with 
her  rather  than  to  risk  a  battle. 

I  could  not  answer  and  tell  her  that  my  thick 
leathery  skin  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  bite 


14O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

of  the  serpent,  except  around  the  eyes  or  lips, 
and  I  was  far  too  angry  at  the  fright  it  had  caused 
me  to  refrain  from  taking  summary  vengeance. 

The  enemy  did  not  move ;  it  fixed  the  shining 
gaze  of  its  lidless  eyes  upon  me,  and  darted  its 
forked  tongue  in  and  out,  like  a  black  flame ;  then 
it  coiled  again,  in  readiness  to  spring. 

The  upper  portion  of  its  body  was  now  half 
hidden  under  the  leaves,  the  middle  was  wound 
around  a  tree,  but  the  creature  was  so  long  that  a 
part  still  trailed  on  the  ground.  I  put  my  foot 
on  that  portion,  and  bore  down  upon  it  with  all 
my  weight. 

Then  the  snake  quickly  stretched  itself  to  its 
full  length,  whipping  the  leaves  and  the  branches 
of  the  tree  with  furious  hissings.  It  was  strug- 
gling to  escape,  and  not  succeeding,  it  came  at 
me  again  with  such  a  lightning-like  spring  that 
I  was  unable  to  avoid  it.  It  twined  itself  around 
my  legs,  and  around  my  neck,  biting  furiously 
with  wide-opened  jaws,  but  only  breaking  its 
fangs  on  my  tough  hide.  The  danger  for  me 
was  of  an  altogether  different  kind.  With  gi- 


I    UTTERED    A    SUDDEN    ROAR    AND    AT    THE    SAME    TIME    LEAPED 
TOWARD    THE    SERPENT 


RETRIBUTION 

gantic  strength  it  tightened  more  and  more  its 
clasp  about  my  limbs,  and  what  was  more  ser- 
ious, twisted  itself  around  my  throat  in  a  way 
that  threatened  to  stop  my  breath. 

It  was  impossible  to  reach  it  with  my  tusks — 
it  was  too  close — and  I  was  in  a  truly  pitiable 
situation. 

What,  alas!  would  become  of  Parvati,  left 
alone  in  the  wood,  if  I  should  be  strangled  by 
this  monster? 

And  closer,  and  still  closer,  the  living  rope 
tightened  about  me.  ...  I  could  no  longer 
move  in  spite  of  my  efforts,  and  the  blood  roared 
in  my  ears  under  the  increasing  and  suffocating 
pressure.  ...  I  threw  myself  desperately  on  the 
ground,  rolling  madly  over  and  over,  seeking  to 
crush  my  enemy  beneath  my  weight.  I  rubbed 
and  ground  it  on  the  rough  earth  and  the  thorny 
bushes.  The  battle  was  long.  But  at  last  I  felt 
the  cold  slimy  coils  soften,  relax,  and  finally  let 
go  their  grasp. 

I  rose,  panting. 

The  serpent  lay  full  length  on  the  ground,  still 


142       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

squirming  a  little,  and  looking  like  a  river  of 
blood  and  ink. 

I  fell  to  work,  and  stamped  on  it,  and  tore  it 
to  ribbons  with  my  tusks — till  it  was  completely 
destroyed. 

When  my  rage  was  thoroughly  appeased  I 
turned,  proud  and  pleased,  to  seek  Parvati.  Ah ! 
how  bitterly  did  I  now  repent  of  the  crime  I  had 
committed  in  carrying  her  off !  ... 

My  Princess  lay  on  the  ground,  pale  and  mo- 
tionless— and  to  all  appearance  dead. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   HERMIT 

THE  night  had  fallen  rapidly;  it  was  very 
dark  under  the  thick  branches  of  the  trees,  which 
even  at  midday  cast  a  dense  shadow. 

What  was  to  be  done*?  How  was  I  to  obtain 
succour  for  the  Princess,  whom  I  could  now 
barely  see,  as  she  lay  motionless  on  the  ground  ? 

I  raised  the  upper  part  of  her  body  very  gently 
with  my  trunk,  and  swayed  her  softly  back  and 
forth,  and  fanned  her  with  my  ears — but  she  did 
not  stir.  The  thought  that  she  might  be  dead  so 
horrified  me  that,  without  waiting  to  take  breath, 
I  poured  forth  groans  and  screams  so  piercing 
that  they  were  mistaken  for  those  of  a  human 
being — and  it  was  this  that  finally  extricated  us 
from  our  misfortunes. 

All  at  once  I  saw,  far  off  under  the  leaves,  a 
little  red  light  that  seemed  to  be  advancing.  It 
surely  was  a  lantern,  and  that  meant  that  here, 

in  the  wilderness,  there  was  a  human  being. 

143 


144       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

I  redoubled  my  cries  of  distress,  and  the  light 
approached  more  rapidly.  It  was  turned  in  our 
direction,  and  I  could  not  see  the  person  who  was 
carrying  it. 

At  some  distance  it  stopped,  and  a  feeble,  and 
somewhat  tremulous  voice  called : 

"Who  is  it  that  is  moaning*?  Who  is  it  that 
disturbs  the  quiet  of  the  forest  by  these  cries'? 
Can  it  be  this  elephant?  How  happens  it  that 
his  cries  are  like  those  of  a  man*?" 

I  lifted  the  Princess  on  my  tusks  and  laid  her 
in  the  rays  of  the  lantern. 

"Oh,  the  poor  child !"  exclaimed  the  Voice,  and 
an  old  man  came  forward  and  placed  his  brown 
and  withered  hand  over  the  heart  of  Parvati. 

"She  has  swooned,"  said  he.  "Come,  follow 
me.  We  must  lose  no  time ;  do  you  not  see  that 
a  storm  is  impending?  We  must  not  remain  an 
instant  longer  under  the  trees." 

He  began  to  walk  rapidly  on,  holding  the  lan- 
tern in  a  way  to  light  the  path,  on  which  I  fol- 
lowed, carefully  carrying  the  unconscious  Prin- 
cess. 


THE    HERMIT  145 

We  soon  reached  a  great  clearing,  in  the  centre 
of  which,  leaning  against  a  rock,  was  a  little  hut 
built  of  wooden  planks. 

"Here  we  are,  this  is  my  dwelling,"  said  the 
man;  "I  am  only  a  poor  hermit,  who  has  retired 
in  disgust  from  the  world,  in  order  to  live  and 
meditate  in  solitude.  I  am  denuded  of  all;  I 
possess  nothing.  But  the  forest  provides  me  with 
plants  which  nourish  me.  Some  of  them  have 
wonderful  virtues,  which  I  trust  will  enable  me 
to  restore  to  life  this  lovely  young  girl." 

The  hut  was  so  small  that  I  could  only  thrust 
my  head  inside.  I  placed  Parvati  on  the  Her- 
mit's bed  of  leaves,  and  he  hung  up  the  lantern. 
He  then  crushed  between  his  hands  an  herb  that 
had  a  pungent  odour,  which  he  caused  the  Prin- 
cess to  inhale,  while  he  rubbed  her  temples  and 
her  wrists.  To  my  great  joy  Parvati  revived; 
she  passed  her  hands  across  her  eyes,  and  then, 
seeing  me,  she  smiled. 

"Oh!  my  dear  Iravata,"  exclaimed  she:  "the 
terrible  serpent  did  not  strangle  you!  I  was  so 
terrified  I  thought  I  was  dying!" 


146       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

She  then  related  to  the  Hermit  all  that  had 
Befallen  us,  and  what  a  friend  I  had  always  been 
to  her.  He  in  his  turn  told  how  he  had  heard  my 
cries  and  hastened  to  our  assistance. 

He  was  able  to  offer  the  Princess  some  delicate 
fruits,  which  she  accepted  gladly,  as  she  had 
eaten  nothing  all  day. 

"Oh,  Holy  Man,"  said  she,  "is  it  possible  that 
you  live  all  alone  in  the  depths  of  this  forest*? 
How  sad  and  lonely  you  must  find  it!" 

"No,  child,"  replied  he:  "those  who  live  in 
company  with  their  own  thoughts  are  never 
lonely.  Instead  of  looking  only  at  the  life  that 
is  now  passing,  or  has  passed  away — as  you  do — 
I  look  forward  to  the  mystery  of  the  hereafter, 
to  what  is  to  be  after  death.  And  I  find  this 
enough  to  occupy  every  minute  of  the  day  and 
the  night!" 

"Oh,  Holy  Man,"  said  she :  "why  do  you  de- 
spise life*?  To  me  it  seems  sweet  and  full  of 
joy,  and  my  heart  sinks  at  the  thought  that  it  can- 
not last  forever!"  .  .  . 

A  vivid  flash  of  lightning  startled  the  Prin- 


THE    HERMIT  147 

cess,  who  shrieked,  and  hid  her  face  in  her  hands. 

I  pushed  my  head  further  into  the  door  of  t  -  *> 
hut  so  as  to  close  the  opening  and  shut  out  the 
glare. 

"Poor  little  thing!"  said  the  Hermit.  "Here  I 
am  talking  about  death  and  oblivion  to  this 
lovely  flower  that  blooms  and  delights  all  around 
her!" 

He  gently  removed  the  hands  which  she  still 
held  clenched  before  her  eyes : 

"Fear  nothing,"  said  he.  "We  are  safe  and 
sheltered  here  from  the  violence  of  the  storm." 

Then,  in  order  to  reassure  her,  and  to  distract 
her  attention,  he  added : 

"If  you  like,  I  will  tell  you  a  Story,  and  it  will 
show  you  why  I  no  longer  care  for  a  world  where 
good  fortune  often  attends  a  thief  or  a  liar,  and 
brings  them  to  honour." 

"Oh,  yes!"  said  Parvati.  "By  all  means  tell 
me  this  Story!" 

"Listen,  then,"  said  the  Hermit. 

******* 

"Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  humble  Brah- 


TT 


148       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

man  named  Harisarman.  He  was  very  poor  and 
ignorant,  and  possessed  a  numerous  family. 
After  being  compelled  for  a  long  time  to  make  his 
living  by  begging,  he  and  his  family  were  re- 
ceived into  the  household  of  a  rich  man  named 
Sthuladatta.  The  children  of  Harisarman  were 
employed  to  drive  the  cows,  herd  the  sheep,  and 
tend  the  poultry;  his  wife  worked  in  the  house, 
and  he,  himself,  was  attached  to  the  service  of 
the  Master. 

"One  day  Sthuladatta  gave  an  entertainment 
to  celebrate  the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  but  he 
omitted  to  invite  Harisarman  to  the  festival. 

'  'Behold!'  said  Harisarman  to  his  wife:  'I  am 
despised  because  of  my  poverty  and  ignorance. 
But  I  shall  pretend  to  be  a  learned  man,  in  order 
that  Sthuladatta  will  have  respect  for  me  here- 
after ;  and  when  an  opportunity  occurs  you  must 
say  that  I  am  an  accomplished  Soothsayer/ 

"Then  he  took  the  Bridegroom's  horse  out  of 
the  stable,  and  went  to  a  distant  part  of  the  for- 
est, and  hid  it. 

"When  the  feast  was  over,  and  the  Bridegroom 


THE    HERMIT  149 

prepared  to  return  home  with  his  young  Bride, 
his  horse  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  The  forest 
was  searched,  the  thickets  ransacked;  the  guests 
all  dispersed  in  different  directions  to  assist  in 
finding  the  animal — but  no  trace  of  him  could  be 
discovered. 

"Then  the  wife  of  Harisarman  came  forward, 
and  said : 

1  'My  husband  could  have  found  the  horse 
very  easily;  he  is  a  learned  Soothsayer,  and  un- 
derstands the  language  of  the  stars.  Why  do 
you  not  inquire  of  him*?' 

Sthuladatta  sent  for  Harisarman,  and  said : 
1  'Canst  thou  tell  me  where  to  look  for  the 
lost  horse?' 

"Harisarman  replied : 

"  'Master,  thou  hast  bidden  a  host  of  guests  to 
be  present  at  the  marriage  of  thy  daughter;  but 
thou  didst  not  deign  to  invite  me  because  I  am 
poor.  Behold !  among  all  those  whom  thou  hast 
honoured  not  one  can  tell  thee  where  to  look  for 
thy  son-in-law's  horse,  and  thou  art  obliged  to 
have  recourse  to  me,  whom  thou  hast  treated  with 


15O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

contempt!  Nevertheless,  I  am  not  revengeful; 
and  thanks  to  my  learning,  I  will  be  able  to  in- 
form thee  where  thou  wilt  find  the  horse  whom 
thou  seekest.' 

''He  then  drew  cabalistic  signs,  and  magic 
circles,  and  ended  by  telling  the  place  where  he 
had  hidden  the  horse. 

"From  this  moment  he  was  held  in  great  es- 
teem in  the  household  of  Sthuladatta. 

"Not  long  afterwards  a  robbery  was  commit- 
ted in  the  Palace  of  the  King;  jewels  and  gems 
were  stolen,  and  gold  carried  away. 

"The  King,  having  heard  of  Harisarman,  or- 
dered him  brought  to  the  Palace,  and  said  to 
him: 

'  'I  have  heard  of  thy  powers  of  divination; 
canst  thou  reveal  to  me  the  names  of  the  wretches 
who  have  dared  to  enter  my  palace,  and  steal  my 
treasures?5 

"Harisarman  was  very  much  confused.  He 
bowed  low  before  the  King  and  replied  thus : 

'  'Great  King,  All-powerful  Master,  thou  hast 
taken  me  somewhat  unawares.  But  thanks  to  my 


THE    HERMIT 

great  learning,  no  secret  is  hidden  from  my  dis- 
cerning eyes;  I  discover  that  which  is  invisible, 
and  bring  to  light  what  others  would  desire  con- 
cealed forever.  Give  me  only  till  to-morrow,  in 
order  that  I  may  place  myself  under  the  influence 
of  the  Stars.' 

"The  King  had  him  conducted  to  a  chamber 
in  the  Palace,  with  orders  that  he  was  to  be  per- 
mitted to  pass  the  night  alone. 

"Now,  the  theft  had  been  committed  by  a 
Maidservant  of  the  Palace  named  Dschiva  (the 
Tongue)  and  by  her  brother. 

"Full  of  uneasiness,  and  fearing  that  the  sup- 
posed Soothsayer  would  denounce  her  to  the 
King,  Dschiva  crept  on  tiptoe  to  the  chamber  oc- 
cupied by  Harisarman,  in  the  hope  of  overhear- 
ing something  he  might  say.  The  false  Sooth- 
sayer was  as  much  frightened  as  she,  and  uttered 
loud  imprecations  on  his  tongue  (dschiva)  which 
had  brought  such  trouble  upon  him. 

"He  cried  out : 

"  'Oh,  dschiva!  (tongue)  what  have  you  done 
through  your  stupid  covetousness!' 


152       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"Dschiva  imagined  that  these  words  were  ad- 
dressed to  her;  she  entered  the  chamber  and 
threw  herself  at  the  feet  of  Harisarman,  con- 
fessed to  him  that  she  had  stolen  the  jewels,  im- 
plored him  not  to  betray  her,  promising  if  he 
would  be  silent  to  bestow  on  him  all  the  gold 
which  had  been  taken,  and  to  inform  him  where 
she  had  hidden  the  jewels. 

"The  next  day  Harisarman  led  the  King  to 
where  the  jewels  were  concealed,  but  the  gold 
he  kept  for  himself,  and  said  to  the  King: 

1  'Sire,  the  thieves  in  escaping  carried  with 
them  the  gold.' 

"The  King,  well-pleased  to  have  recovered  his 
jewels,  would  have  recompensed  Harisarman,  but 
was  withheld  by  one  of  his  Councillors,  who  said : 
'  'All  this  does  not  look  natural  to  me,  oh, 
King.  How  can  such  learning  be  possessed  by 
one  who  has  never^studied  the  holy  texts  ?  This 
affair  has  doubtless  been  arranged  by  Harisar- 
man and  the  robbers.  In  order  to  convince  me 
this  pretended  Soothsayer  would  have  to  be  put 
to  the  test!' 


THE    HERMIT  153 

"The  King  consulted  for  a  few  minutes  with 
his  Councillor,  who  then  went  out,  and  soon 
returned  with  a  new  earthen  pot,  which  was 
covered  by  a  lid,  under  which  he  had  placed  a 
live  frog. 

"The  King,  addressing  Harisarman,  said : 
c  If  thou  canst  tell  me  what  this  vessel  con- 
tains all  honours  shall  be  paid  to  thee,  if  not, 
thou  shalt  be  put  to  death  for  having  dared  to 
deceive  me!' 

"Harisarman  now  gave  himself  up  for  lost. 
Memories,  as  vivid  as  lightning-flashes,  passed 
through  his  mind.  He  remembered  his  happy 
childhood,  and  his  kind  father,  and  how  the  lat- 
ter had  a  pet-name  for  him,  and  often  would  call 
him  'little  Frog!'  and,  not  thinking  of  what  he 
was  saying,  but  speaking  to  himself  (with  suf- 
ficient distinctness,  however,  to  be  heard) ,  he  ex- 
claimed : 

'  'Alas !  alas !  .  .  .  this  pot  has  caught  thee, 
little  Frog !  Once  thou  wert  free  and  happy,  but 
now,  how  wilt  thou  escape?' 

"All  those  who  stood  by  and  heard  him  sup- 


154       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

posed  that  his  words  were  addressed  to  the  frog 
in  the  basin. 

"The  test  seemed  conclusive. 

"From  that  day  the  King  honoured  Harisar- 
man,  loaded  him  with  benefits,  and  made  him  a 
Prince.  .  .  . 

"This,"  said  the  Hermit,  "is  a  story  that  shows 
how  there  is  no  justice  in  the  world,  and  that  we 
should  be  glad  to  leave  it  and  seek  a  better  one — 
even  at  the  price  of  one's  existence !" 

"Oh,  Holy  Man,"  said  Parvati,  "the  history 
of  Harisarman  is  not  finished;  and  who  knows 
what  may  have  happened  to  him  afterwards? 
Perhaps  he  may  have  experienced  a  punishment 
all  the  more  severe  from  having  been  delayed. 
And  then  he  must  have  suffered  from  knowing 
himself  to  be  other  than  he  seemed !  from  know- 
ing himself  to  be  a  liar  and  a  thief,  while  he  was 
saluted  as  a  scholar  and  an  honest  man.  ...  It 
seems  to  me  that  in  this  world  we  are  always  pun- 
ished for  our  faults.  Behold,  what  has  happened 
to  us  to-day!  Iravata,  the  wisest  of  elephants, 
for  the  first  time  acted  without  his  usual  prud- 


THE    HERMIT  155 

ence;  he  went  too  far  into  the  forest,  and  I,  in- 
stead of  restraining  him,  was  delighted  with  the 
adventure,  and  encouraged  him  to  go  still  fur- 
ther. We  have  both  come  near  to  losing  our 
lives;  then  the  storm  overwhelmed  us,  and  here 
we  are,  at  the  dead  hour  of  the  night,  in  the  midst 
of  this  forest,  fearfully  far  from  the  palace  of 
Golconda — where,  no  doubt,  my  dear  parents, 
distracted  with  anxiety,  are  lamenting  the  ab- 
sence of  their  disobedient  daughter!" 

In  saying  this  Parvati's  beautiful  eyes  were 
full  of  tears,  and  as  I  listened  I  bent  my  head  in 
shame,  and  wept,  too. 

"Do  not  despair,"  said  the  Hermit,  who  was 
looking  closely  at  me;  "the  dangers  you  have  en- 
countered may  perhaps  have  saved  you  from  still 
greater  perils.  This  Elephant,  who  has  acquired 
the  moral  intelligence  of  humanity,  knows  very 
well  to  what  I  allude,  and  he  alone  is  to  blame" 

I  trembled  in  all  my  members  under  the  search- 
ing look  he  cast  upon  me,  and  understanding 
full  well  the  meaning  of  his  accusing  words,  my 
head  sank  lower  and  lower. 


156       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"Let  this  Elephant  take  warning,"  said  he :  "in 
approaching  mankind  through  his  sentiments  and 
intelligence,  he  may  also  become  liable  to  the 
errors  of  mankind.  I  foresee  his  future.  I  fore- 
see that  he  will  be  unhappy,  and  that  he  will  be 
the  maker  of  his  own  misfortunes,  through  a 
sentiment  far  too  human !"  .  .  . 

A  long  silence  followed  these  prophetic  words. 
Parvati  was  deeply  moved,  and  as  for  me,  I  dared 
not  raise  my  head. 

I  withdrew  from  the  doorway  which  I  had  ob- 
structed. And  now  a  lovely  moonlight,  soft  and 
bright,  the  colour  of  emeralds  and  turquoises, 
shone  into  the  hut.  The  storm  was  over.  The 
full  moon  had  risen  and  beamed  in  the  sky,  where 
a  few  clouds  still  floated.  The  trees  and  the 
flowers,  refreshed  by  the  rain,  filled  the  air  with 
fragrance. 

"Go  now,  my  friends,"  said  the  Hermit;  "the 
storm  has  been  of  service  to  you.  Those  who  are 
waiting  for  you  are  not  as  anxious  as  they  would 
otherwise  have  been;  believing  in  the  wisdom 
of  the  Elephant,  in  whom  they  have  entire  con- 


THE    HERMIT  157 

fidence,  they  will  suppose  that  he  sought  shelter 
from  the  storm,  and  that  it  alone  has  caused  your 
delay.  Go,  then,  the  moon  shines  as  bright  as 
day.  May  the  King  and  Queen  of  Golconda 
never  learn  the  truth!"  , 


CHAPTER   XX 

DESPAIR 

THANKS  to  the  English  who  had  interposed 
and  had  stopped  the  War,  a  Treaty  of  Peace  had 
been  signed  between  the  Maharajah  of  Mysore 
and  my  master,  the  King  of  Golconda. 

But,  under  an  appearance  of  friendship,  there 
still  brooded  a  bitter  enmity;  and  as  a  renewal 
of  hostilities  would  have  been  the  ruin  of  my 
master,  who  was  less  powerful  than  his  enemy,  a 
method  was  sought  to  confirm  and  strengthen 
the  Treaty. 

The  plan  decided  upon  was  terrible — terrible 
for  me — and  brought  about  the  catastrophe 
which  the  Hermit  had  foretold;  and  as  he  had 
predicted,  I  was  the  maker  of  my  own  misfor- 
tunes. .  .  . 

Parvati  all  at  once  began  to  act  strangely.  A 
preoccupation  which  she  did  not  impart  to  me 

absorbed  her  constantly,  and  I  was  unable  to  de- 

158 


DESPAIR  159 

cide  whether  she  was  happy,  or  sad.  For  hours  at 
a  time  she  would  sit  motionless,  leaning  back, 
gazing  straight  before  her,  her  little  hands 
clenched  on  the  arms  of  her  rattan  chair. 

I  thought  I  could  perceive  that  she  was  rest- 
less and  impatient — as  if  expecting  something; 
but  she,  who  usually  confided  to  me  every 
thought,  now  was  silent  and  reserved. 

One  day  I  saw  her  in  the  great  Avenue  of 
Tamarind  Trees  looking  attentively  at  something 
which  she  held  in  the  palm  of  her  hand;  she 
would  lift  it  and  bring  it  near — then  hold  it  off 
at  a  distance,  looking  at  it  with  half-closed  eyes. 
She  ended  by  letting  her  arms  fall  at  her  side, 
and  bowing  her  head. 

I  drew  near  and  saw  that  her  eyes  were  full  of 
tears.  At  this  I  uttered  a  little  plaintive  cry,  and 
knelt  before  her,  trying  to  make  her  understand 
how  it  pained  me  to  be  ignorant  of  that  which 
was  grieving  her. 

She  understood  me,  and  patting  me  gently 
with  her  hand,  she  made  me  rise. 

"I  am  going  to  tell  thee  everything  to-day,  Ira- 


16O     THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

vata,"  said  she.  "If  I  have  been  silent  till  now 
it  was  because  I  dreaded  to  announce  things  that 
might  never  come  to  pass;  to  speak  of  them 
seemed  only  to  make  them  more  real,  and  to 
bring  them  nearer.  I  had  hoped  that  all  would 
fade  away,  like  the  clouds  which  sometimes 
gather  in  the  sky,  and  seem  to  threaten  a  tempest, 
but  which  yet  disappear  without  bringing  a 
storm.  But  now  all  is  settled." 

I  trembled  with  anxiety  on  hearing  her  speak 
so  sadly;  she  had  seated  herself  on  a  bench  of 
carved  wood  lacquered  in  red  and  gold,  and  she 
now  continued,  looking  at  the  thing  she  held  hid- 
den in  her  hand: 

"I  am  a  Princess,"  said  she.  "Till  lately  I  had 
supposed  that  this  meant  only  that  I  was  more 
powerful,  more  free,  as  well  as  richer  than  other 
mortals.  I  have  learned  that  this  is  not  all. 
There  are  duties  which  we  owe  to  the  people  of 
whom  we  are  the  rulers,  and  our  duty  sometimes 
is  to  sacrifice  our  happiness  to  their  welfare." 

(The  "happiness  of  the  people!" — "sacrifice 
herself!"  what  was  I  about  to  hear?) 


DESPAIR  l6l 

All  at  once  she  opened  her  hand  and  showed 
me  a  little  picture  set  round  with  gold  and  dia- 
monds : 

"See  this,"  said  she,  "it  is  a  Prince — look  well 
at  it.  ...  See  this  large,  heavy  face,  this  dark 
complexion,  almost  black  under  the  white  tur- 
ban; see  that  thick  mouth,  and  that  bristling 
moustache,  those  long  half-shut  eyes,  with  such  a 
sneering  expression !  It  is  not  what  one  would 
imagine  the  face  of  a  young  Prince  to  be — and 
yet,"  added  she,  "it  is  no  doubt  flattered !" 

She  raised  the  picture  to  the  level  of  my  right 
eye,  and  I  shut  the  other  in  order  to  see  better. 

So  far  as  an  elephant  can  judge  of  a  likeness, 
and  above  all  after  the  description  she  had  given, 
it  seemed  to  me  the  face  of  a  terrible  being — an 
enemy;  and  I  hardly  glanced  at  the  picture  when 
I  was  seized  with  a  hatred  of  the  person  it  rep- 
resented, although  I  did  not  yet  know  how  much 
reason  I  had  to  detest  him. 

"This  Prince  is  named  Baladji-Rao,"  said  Par- 
vati.  "He  is  the  Son  of  the  Maharajah  of  My- 
sore, who  at  the  time  of  my  birth  was  making  an 


l62       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

unjust  war  upon  my  father,  and  who  would  have 
put  him  to  a  shameful  death,  had  you  not  rescued 
him,  my  Iravata.  Well !  behold  how  strange  is 
the  fate  of  princes!  This  Baladji,  whose  father 
strove  to  make  me  an  orphan — is  to  be  my  hus- 
band— they  are  about  to  marry  me  to  him,  in 
order  to  cement  more  strongly  the  Treaty  which 
has  been  signed,  and  preserve  the  peace  of  the 
two  Kingdoms." 

Marry  her! 

"The  Prince  has  never  seen  me,  and  I  am  not 
acquainted  with  him;  how  can  there  be  anything 
like  friendship  between  us  *?  But  it  is  not,  alas ! 
a  question  of  friendship — but  of  politics.  I  must 
sacrifice  myself  to  the  good  of  the  State.  To 
lament  would  be  unworthy  of  my  noble  birth, 
and  to  appear  sad  would  only  distress  my  par- 
ents, who  are  delighted  with  the  alliance." 

I  was  thunderstruck.  For  a  few  moments  I 
remained  mute;  but  I  could  not  control  myself 
and  very  soon  began  to  stamp  and  utter  screams 
of  distress. 

"No  .  .  .  No !  Iravata,"  cried  she :  "do  not  do 


DESPAIR  163 

so;  thy  cries  seem  only  to  echo  my  own  despair — 
and  I  am  not  willing  to  give  it  expression!  I 
smother  my  grief  in  my  heart,  and  force  back  my 
tears.  I  am  resolved  to  be  a  truly  Royal  maiden, 
worthy  of  the  long  line  of  ancestors  which  form 
in  history  a  brilliant  chain,  of  which  I  am  the  last 
link.  But  they  shall  not  separate  thee  from 
me.  .  .  .  That  I  will  never  allow!" 

Not  separate  her  from  me  when  she  was  al- 
ready so  little  with  me!  Ah!  why  could  she 
not  have  remained  a  child,  over  whom  I  was  per- 
mitted to  watch?  .  .  .  To  be  together  then  was 
a  pleasure  for  her,  as  much  as  for  me!  While 
now  she  was  full  of  thoughts  in  which  I  had  no 
part — taken  up  with  amusements  in  which  I 
counted  for  nothing.  When  she  was  married  she 
would  have  a  Court  of  her  own,  and  a  whole 
Palace  to  organize  and  direct — and  what  would 
become  of  me  $ 

I  was  ashamed  at  thinking  only  of  myself,  and 
forgetting  her  sorrows;  but  a  new  feeling  which 
I  could  not  control  had  been  aroused  and  was 
raging  in  me — a  fury,  and  a  savage  hatred  for 


12 


164       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

the  stranger  who  was  going  to  take  my  Princess 
away  from  me. 

She  forbade  me  to  express  my  anguish,  and  it 
choked  me.  I  had  not,  myself,  any  "royal"  soul; 
I  owed  nothing  to  my  "ancestors."  I  was  only  a 
beast  of  the  forest,  taught  by  my  association  with 
men  to  think,  and  to  suffer;  when  I  suffered  I  had 
to  cry  out;  and  since  my  Princess  would  not  per- 
mit me  to  do  so  in  her  presence — I  rushed  away, 
and  went,  like  a  wounded  animal,  to  lie  and 
grieve  on  my  bed  in  the  stable ! 


CHAPTER   XXI 

JEALOUSY 

HE  appeared  one  day  at  the  Palace  of  Gol- 
conda — the  enemy — the  fiance — whom  I  had  al- 
ready learned  to  detest. 

When  I  saw  him  advancing  from  a  distance, 
talking  and  laughing  with  Parvati,  a  red  flame 
danced  before  me,  and  I  closed  my  eyes  to  es- 
cape from  the  frenzy  of  rage  which  overwhelmed 
me  at  the  sight  of  him. 

I  could  hear  them  coming;  the  voice  of  the 
stranger  reached  my  ears,  resounded  in  them,  and 
pierced  them  like  a  sharp  arrow !  On  hearing  it 
I  seemed  to  see  once  more  the  bloody  battlefield 
— the  corpses  crushed  under  my  feet,  and  my 
Master  in  chains,  and  our  perilous  flight  through 
the  wilderness.  .  .  . 

A  tremor  shook  me  from  head  to  foot.  I  low- 
ered my  head  and  kept  my  eyes  obstinately  shut, 
and  I  tore  up  the  ground  with  my  tusks  to  try 

and  work  off  my  fury. 

165 


l66       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

I  heard  them  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  she 
with  her  light  step,  and  he  dragging  his  feet 
along  carelessly.  He  had  seen  me,  and  it  was  of 
me  that  he  was  speaking. 

"Ah!"  said  he,  "you  have  a  white  elephant! 
I  know  that  a  great  veneration  is  felt  for  animals 
of  this  species  in  some  countries — among  others 
in  Siam,  the  country  of  the  Queen  your  mother. 
We,  however,  are  less  simple-minded,  and  we 
like  them  for  processions,  but  value  them  less 
than  the  others  because  they  are  less  robust." 

Parvati  had  stopped  near  me,  disturbed  by  my 
silent  rage,  which  was  plainly  visible  to  her ;  she 
sought  to  soothe  me  with  her  gentle  hand,  and 
her  voice  shook  as  she  replied  to  the  Prince : 

"Iravata  is  the  good  Genius  of  our  family. 
The  soul  of  one  of  my  ancestors  dwells  in  him, 
and  he  is  my  dearest  friend!" 

"Not  dearer  than  your  fiance,  I  hope !"  said  he 
with  a  conceited  laugh. 

"He  who  has  been  devoted  to  me  since  my 
birth  is  more  of  a  friend  than  the  fiance  of  yester- 
day. ..." 


JEALOUSY  167 

"Why,  this  is  serious!"  cried  Baladji,  laughing 
still  louder:  "Must  I  really  be  jealous  of  a  great 
beast  like  that?'  .  .  . 

I  could  no  longer  restrain  myself  from  open- 
ing my  eyes,  and  at  the  look  that  met  his,  the 
Prince  recoiled  several  steps. 

"By  Kali,"  said  he,  "your  Ancestor  has  not  a 
very  pleasant  expression!  his  eyes  are  as  feroc- 
ious as  a  tiger's!" 

"Let  us  go  on,  I  beg  of  you,"  said  Parvati.  "I 
do  not  know  what  has  irritated  him,  but  Iravata 
is  not  himself  to-day." 

"I  will  go  on  very  willingly,"  said  the  Prince, 
endeavouring  to  conceal  his  fright,  "for  I  detest 
the  vicinity  of  elephants  because  of  their  odour !" 

He  turned  and  went  away  hurriedly,  while 
Parvati,  before  rejoining  him,  looked  back  at  me, 
and  clasped  her  hands  supplicatingly. 

It  was  well  that  he  left,  for  I  could  no  longer 
control  myself;  the  idea  of  crushing  him  under 
my  feet,  and  stamping  him  to  a  jelly  had  come 
over  me,  and  in  spite  of  the  shame  I  felt  at  such 
a  murderous  impulse,  I  could  not  banish  it. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

FLIGHT 

FOR  several  days  after  this  Parvati  did  not 
come  to  visit  me.  I  saw  her  at  a  distance,  walk- 
ing in  the  gardens,  always  accompanied  by  the 
black  Baladji-Rao,  whose  white  turban  striped 
with  gold  showed  brilliantly  against  the  dark 
green  shrubbery. 

Perhaps  the  Princess  intended  to  punish  me 
for  having  shown  myself  so  bitter  and  full  of 
hatred,  or  perhaps  she  dreaded  some  outbreak  of 
temper  on  my  part;  but  her  absence  only  embit- 
tered me  still  more,  and  my  hatred  increased  for 
him  who  had  deprived  me  of  her  presence,  and 
the  desire  to  murder  him  haunted  me  day  and 
night. 

The  Palace  was  all  in  confusion  with  prepara- 
tions for  the  wedding.  They  came  to  try  on  me 
a  mantle  of  silver  brocade  embroidered  with 
pearls  and  turquoise,  a  crown  of  feathers,  and  a 

168 


FLIGHT  169 

howdah  of  gold  fillagree,  in  which  the  bridal 
couple  were  to  be  seated  on  the  day  of  the  mar- 
riage ;  for  to  me  had  been  assigned  the  honour  of 
carrying  them  in  the  great  triumphal  procession 
which  was  to  traverse  all  Golconda. 

But  in  proportion  as  the  day  approached  my 
longing  to  kill  the  Prince  increased  to  such  in- 
tensity, that  to  avoid  committing  so  fearful  a 
crime,  I  took  a  painful  resolution.  ...  I  re- 
solved to  leave  the  Palace — and  to  fly! 

Leave  Parvati !  Leave  the  King  and  Saphire- 
of-Heaven!  They  who  had  made  my  life  so 
sweet — so  free — so  happy !  Go  wandering  about 
the  world,  exposed  to  whatever  might  befall  me, 
and  perhaps  become  once  more  a  mere  sav- 
age. .  .  .  How  could  I  endure  such  misfortune 
— such  misery? 

But  I  realized  that  I  must  sacrifice  myself  to 
prevent  bringing  a  terrible  catastrophe  on  those 
who  had  been  so  kind  to  me.  Should  Baladji- 
Rao  be  assassinated  in  Golconda,  war  would 
again  be  declared,  fearful  reprisals  would  be 
made,  and  my  benefactors  ruined.  I  had  done 


17O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

my  best  to  curb  my  feelings,  and  resign  myself 
to  what  I  could  not  help ;  but  a  sight  of  the  Prince 
of  Mysore,  no  matter  at  what  distance,  caused 
a  cloud  of  rage  to  mount  to  my  brain  which  de- 
prived me  of  reason,  and  impelled  me  irresistibly 
to  destroy  him. 

I  must  go.  I  must  give  to  my  beloved  Par- 
vati  this  last  proof  of  my  devotion. 

The  night  before  the  wedding  I  waited  for  the 
moon  to  set,  and  then  I  noiselessly  opened  the 
great  door  of  my  stable,  and  stole  softly  out. 

For  a  moment  I  thought  of  going  for  a  last  time 
under  the  window  of  the  Princess's  chamber,  and 
of  gathering  some  lotus  flowers  and  fastening 
them  to  her  balcony,  as  I  had  often  done  before ; 
that  would  have  been  a  sort  of  "good-bye"  and 
she  would  have  understood.  But  my  heart  was 
heavy,  and  my  eyes  dim;  I  feared  if  I  did  so  I 
might  give  way,  and  be  unable  to  carry  out  my 
resolution,  and  leave.  So,  I  crossed  the  court- 
yard quickly,  lifted  the  bar  and  the  chain  on  the 
gateway,  and  then,  after  fastening  them  once 
more  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  I  went  forth. 


FLIGHT  171 

A  great  silence  rested  everywhere  on  Gol- 
conda ;  all  was  dark  and  empty.  My  head  hung 
down  with  shame  and  sorrow,  and  as  I  walked  my 
big  tears  fell  on  the  road,  so  that  I  could  have 
been  traced  by  them,  if  the  dust  had  not  at  once 
dried  them  up ! 

The  day  was  dawning  when  I  drew  near  the 
forest  which  had  so  often  been  the  goal  of  my 
excursions  with  the  little  Princess. 

In  those  days,  when  the  dusky  outline  of  the 
trees  and  thickets  shone  out  against  the  brilliant 
rose-colour  of  the  sky,  how  delighted  was  I  to 
entertain  the  laughing  Princess  with  my  gay 
frolics!  And  now,  how  sadly  and  mournfully 
was  I  seeking  its  somber  shade!  My  breast 
swelled  with  hugh  sighs — elephantine  sighs — 
which  escaped  me  with  such  terrible  sounds  that 
the  beasts  of  the  forest  fled  away,  frightened. 

I  was  so  overcome  that  I  was  obliged  to  stop, 
and  had  I  been  a  man  I  might,  like  the  Court 
Poet,  have  put  into  verse  the  emotions  of  my 
heart,  and  the  hoarse  groans  which  burst  from  me 
could  have  been  translated  thus : 


172       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"Alas!  I  shall  see  thee  no  more,  dearest  Parvatil 
Smile  of  my  life,  Sun  of  my  days,  Moon  of  my 

night! 
I  shall  see  thee  no  more  .  .  .  Alas! 

"No  more  will  thy  soft  hand  stroke  me! 
Nor  thy  gentle  voice  speak  the  friendly  words 
That  sounded  sweeter  to  me  than  the  sweetest 
music! 

"But  I  leave  thee  to  avoid  committing  a  fearful 
crime. 

"Thou,  no  doubt  wilt  soon  have  forgotten  me. 

Thou  wilt  always  be  the  divine  Princess  Par- 
vati, 

Loved  and  blessed  by  all! 

But  I,  deprived  of  thee, 

Shall  be  only  a  poor  wandering  brute, 

With  naught  to  comfort  me 

But  the  remembrance  of  former  happi- 
ness! .  .  .  : 

Yes,  that  is  how  the  Poet  would  have  lamented 
— and  I  also  if  I  had  not  been  an  elephant ! 

I  went  on  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  forest, 
and  the  thought  came  to  me  of  asking  help  of  the 
good  Hermit  who  had  so  kindly  received  us  on 


FLIGHT  173 

the  day  when  I  attempted  to  carry  off  the  Prin- 
cess, and  when  the  serpent  and  the  storm  had 
brought  me  to  repent  of  my  wrong  doing. 

Certainly  this  pious  old  man,  who  had  so  long 
studied  the  lives  of  the  Saints,  and  knew  that 
one  must  be  no  less  pitiful  to  animals  than  to 
human  beings,  would  not  repel  me,  and  perhaps 
his  comforting  words  would  heal  somewhat  the 
sufferings  which  were  too  much  for  me. 

As  I  advanced  the  woods  seemed  changed ;  the 
birds  no  longer  sang,  the  flowers  were  pale  and 
withered,  and  even  the  trees  were  brown  and  dy- 
ing. 

"It  is  because  I  myself  am  so  sad,"  thought  I  at 
first;  "that  is  the  reason  the  forest  seems  so 
dreary ;  but  by  and  by,  when  I  shall  have  found 
the  Hermit,  and  his  words  will  have  imparted  to 
me  a  little  courage,  I  shall  hear  the  birds  sing 
again,  and  see  the  flowers  I  used  to  gather  for 
her!" 

Alas!  I  was  mistaken.  Like  myself  the  for- 
est had  really  lost  all  its  gayety ;  the  birds  would 
not  sing,  nor  the  flowers  bloom  any  more.  I 


174      THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

searched  in  every  direction,  but  could  not  find 
the  Hermit;  at  last  I  discovered,  buried  in  the 
grass,  a  few  half-decayed  planks  which  alone  re- 
mained to  mark  the  spot  where  the  hut  had  once 
stood.  I  saw  that  it  had  been  abandoned,  and 
left  to  be  destroyed  by  the  winds  and  the  rain. 

The  good  Hermit,  with  whom  I  had  hoped  to 
find  a  refuge,  had  left  the  forest;  he  had  gone  to 
seek  another  hermitage,  or  had  taken  up  the  life 
of  a  wandering  mendicant,  such  as  the  Sacred 
Books  sometimes  ordain  for  Brahmans;  or  per- 
haps he  might  even  be  dead,  killed  by  some  fero- 
cious tiger. 

And  so  it  was,  that  with  him,  all  the  joy  and 
gladness  had  departed  from  the  beautiful  forest, 
which  his  presence  no  longer  sanctified. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE    HERD 

IF  anything  could  have  added  to  my  wretched- 
ness it  would  have  been  this  failure  to  find  the 
kind  Hermit. 

What  was  to  become  of  me?  accustomed  as  I 
had  been  for  so  long  to  living  among  men — 
petted  and  cherished  by  all? 

Oh!  why  did  no  wise  suggestion  now  come  to 
me?  Why  did  I  not  think  of  returning  to  the 
Palace  of  Golconda,  where  very  likely  my  ab- 
sence had  not  yet  been  discovered? 

Alas !  jealousy  and  murderous  hatred  still  gov- 
erned me;  it  was  necessary  that  I  should  suffer 
and  be  punished;  and  the  wise  counsel  which 
might  have  spared  me  so  many  trials  never  en- 
tered my  head. 

I  wandered  aimlessly  through  glades  and 
thickets,  penetrating  desperately  to  the  wildest 

parts  of  the  forest.    And  now  a  new  distress  was 

175 


176       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

added  to  my  misery.  If  I  had,  like  men,  the  fac- 
ulty of  blushing,  I  would  blush  to  say  that  hun- 
ger was  now  torturing  me.  I  ought  not,  perhaps, 
at  such  a  time  to  have  given  a  thought  to  so  com- 
monplace a  necessity  as  food;  but,  I  repeat,  our 
race  supports  less  than  any  other  the  lack  of 
nourishment;  and,  during  my  long  life,  I  have 
seen  so  many  men  yield  to  the  mere  fear  of  hun- 
ger, that  I  trust  I  shall  not  be  criticised  too  se- 
verely for  my  weakness. 

I  was,  then,  very  sorrowful — and  very  hungry ! 
I  gathered  here  and  there  a  few  half-dead  leaves, 
or  a  bunch  of  thin  grass — but  what  could  they  do 
to  sustain  me  *?  I  was  beginning  to  despair,  when 
I  heard  in  the  distance  a  sound  which  I  recog- 
nized as  the  trumpeting  of  elephants.  This  en- 
couraged me.  I  said  to  myself : 

"These  Elephants  whom  I  hear  are,  no  doubt, 
Wild  Elephants;  still,  I  will  try  to  touch  their 
hearts,  and,  perhaps,  seeing  my  distress,  they  will 
admit  me  to  their  Herd." 

This  thought  inspired  me  with  a  little  con- 
fidence, and  I  made  my  way  towards  that  part 


THE    HERD  177 

of  the  forest  whence  the  sounds  proceeded.  They 
continued  to  reach  me  at  intervals,  and,  guided 
in  this  way,  I  reached  after  a  while  an  opening  in 
the  woods,  in  which  twenty  large  Elephants  were 
resting,  reclining  on  the  ground. 

In  the  centre  of  the  clearing  was  a  great  heap 
of  fruits  and  fresh  vegetables.  (The  Elephants 
are  accustomed  to  separate  at  night,  and  go 
through  the  fields  and  near-by  plantations,  to  for- 
age for  food,  and  they  return  bringing  with  them 
what  they  have  been  unable  to  eat,  and  make  of 
it  a  common  stock  of  provisions.) 

I  saw  them  quietly  enjoying  their  repast;  from 
time  to  time,  one  would  extend  his  trunk  and  se- 
lect a  fruit  or  vegetable  from  the  heap,  and  tran- 
quilly munch  it,  as  if  quite  sure  that  nothing 
would  come  near  to  disturb  them,  or  to  interfere 
with  their  meal. 

Several  were  sleeping;  and  yet,  in  spite  of  the 
calm  and  peaceful  appearance  of  these  Ele- 
phants, one  felt  they  were  savage  and  ready  to 
defend  themselves  fiercely  against  any  intrusion. 
I  trembled  as  I  approached  them ! 


178       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

I  was  thinking  how  I  could  best  attract  their 
attention,  when  one  of  them  saw  me,  and  with 
a  hoarse  cry,  gave  the  alarm  to  his  companions. 
Instantly  those  who  had  been  eating  stopped, 
and  those  who  were  asleep  awoke.  They  all 
looked  at  me,  and  in  those  looks  I  could  see  no 
sign  of  sympathy  for  him  who  had  disturbed 
them.  I  was  on  the  point  of  taking  flight — but 
hunger  held  me  fast,  and  I  said  humbly,  in  ele- 
phant language,  something  like  this : 

"My  Brothers,  I  am  a  very  unfortunate  and 
friendless  creature,  who  has  no  wish  to  offend 
you.  I  have  been  for  a  long  time  wandering 
about,  without  food  or  shelter,  and  if  you  do  not 
assist  me  I  shall  soon  die  of  hunger.  Have  pity 
upon  me !  Give  me  a  little  of  your  provisions, 
and  I  will  in  return  be  glad  to  render  you  any 
service  in  my  power  I" 

These  words  had  no  effect.  They  said  to 
themselves : 

"This  is  a  White  Elephant — and  no  doubt 
sick;  at  any  rate  he  is  not  like  us.  Why  should 
we  allow  him  to  come  among  us*?" 


"HE   IS   WHITE,   AND   THAT   IS  ALL   THE   MORE   REASON  FOR   SENDING  HIM  OFF" 


THE    HERD  179 

One  Elephant,  who  was  taller  and  more  pow- 
erful than  the  others,  and  who  seemed  to  be  a 
leader  among  them,  said  roughly : 

"We  should  never  take  in  strangers.  We 
should  beware  of  all  new-comers,  and  far  from 
treating  them  with  kindness,  we  should  chase 
them  away.  Even  if  this  Elephant  were  dark 
like  us,  he  has  no  business  here ;  he  was  not  born 
in  this  clearing.  He  is  White^  and  that  is  a  still 
stronger  reason  for  sending  him  off!" 

At  this  all  the  Elephants  cried  out  with  one 
voice : 

"Yes!  Yes!— let  him  go!" 
Then  they  all  turned  to  me  and  cried : 
"BEGONE!    BEGONE!  ..." 
I  tried  to  speak  again,  but  their  cries  became 
more  fierce.     Many  rose  up  and  threatened  me 
with  their  tusks.    Alone  as  I  was  against  twenty 
Elephants — what  could  I  do*?  ...  Then,  too, 
my  life  among  kindly  and  affectionate  masters, 
and  my  occupation  of  watching  over  and  serving 
the  sweetest  and  gentlest  of  Princesses,  had  ren- 
dered me  averse  to  fighting.  ...     I  did  not  like 
13 


l8o       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

quarrels.  Their  furious  screams  shocked  and 
horrified  me,  and  I  left  the  clearing  where  for  a 
moment  I  had  hoped  to  find  refuge. 

I  saw  now  that  I  had  nothing  to  hope  from 
my  fellow-elephants.  Everywhere  it  would  be 
the  same.  I  should  be  treated  as  an  intruder.  I 
remembered  how,  even  in  my  infancy,  when  I 
lived  in  the  forest  of  Siam,  I  had  been  looked 
on  with  dislike  by  my  companions  of  the  Herd, 
because  of  my  white  colour — the  very  thing  that 
had  caused  me  to  be  welcomed  by  men.  How 
then  would  it  be  with  strangers'?  even  if  less 
savage  than  those  I  had  just  left? 

It  would  always  be  the  same.  .  .  .  No  herd 
would  ever  consent  to  receive  me. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE    BRAHMAN 

I  REALLY  knew  not  what  to  do,  and  my  reflec- 
tions grew  more  and  more  gloomy,  when  I  no- 
ticed that  I  had  by  degrees  wandered  out  from 
the  forest,  which  now  lay  behind  me. 

A  rich  plain  on  which  were  fields  and  meadows 
and  villages  was  before  me,  stretching  out  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  see.  A  white  road  traversed 
this  plain  at  some  distance. 

It  was  now  twilight;  the  fields  were  deserted, 
and  not  a  peasant  was  to  be  seen  anywhere  on 
the  far-off  road.  I  determined  to  reach  this  high- 
way, however,  for  it  certainly  would  lead  me 
somewhere — probably  to  some  city  where  I  might 
be  received.  Cast  out  and  rejected  by  my  fellow- 
elephants,  my  only  hope  now  rested  on  the  kind- 
ness of  men.  .  .  . 

As  I  was  passing  through  a  field  of  vegetables 
I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  stealing  a 

181 


l82       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

few,  and  in  this  way  appeasing  to  some  extent 
my  hunger. 

Night  had  fallen  when  I  gained  the  road.  I 
set  out  to  follow  it,  snatching  a  fruit  now  and 
then  from  the  trees  that  bordered  it. 

I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  my  eye 
fell  upon  a  dark  object  lying  at  the  foot  of  the 
embankment.  I  went  near,  and  looking  closely, 
I  saw  that  it  was  a  man.  .  .  .  Was  he  dead? — 
or  only  asleep*?  ...  I  sniffed  at  him,  and  felt 
the  warmth  of  his  breath — he  was  alive !  I  ex- 
amined him  still  more  closely;  his  clothing  was 
ragged  and  stained  with  dust  and  mud.  His  ap- 
pearance was  that  of  a  labourer,  and  yet,  around 
his  waist  I  noticed  the  "cord"  which  marked  him 
as  a  Brahman.  A  Brahman  in  such  rags  might 
be  one  of  those  who  sometimes  adopt  the  life  of 
a  Beggar,  in  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  their 
religion.  His  breath,  however,  recalled  the 
odour  of  certain  strong  liquors,  imported  by  the 
Europeans,  some  of  which  I  had  seen  in  bottles, 
and  had  smelt  with  disgust;  This  showed  that 
he  was  not  leading  the  life  of  abstinence  suitable 


THE    BRAHMAN  183 

for  a  Mendicant  Brahman.  He  was,  no  doubt, 
one  of  those  unfortunate  Brahmans  fallen  into 
poverty  and  disgrace — "Apad"  as  it  is  called  in 
the  Indian  language.  The  holy  law  permits 
these  to  labour  at  any  kind  of  work,  such  as  in 
ordinary  circumstances  would  be  entirely  forbid- 
den to  their  "caste." 

After  looking  at  him  for  a  long  time  I  was  able 
to  make  out  his  features.  He  had  not  a  cruel 
face.  No  doubt  he  would  receive  me  gladly,  and 
perhaps  welcome  me  as  a  gift  from  the 
Gods !  .  .  .  I  had  been  so  long  unused  to  being 
alone  that  I  could  not  endure  it.  ...  A  compan- 
ionship here  offered  itself.  .  .  .  What  would  it 
be  like4?  ...  I  had  no  means  of  guessing;  but 
even  were  the  Brahman  to  prove  the  cruellest  of 
masters,  I  felt  that  I  would  rather  submit  to  be 
maltreated  by  him  than  to  live  alone. 

I  gave  him  a  little  blow  with  my  trunk,  to 
waken  him.  He  opened  his  eyes,  and  stammered : 

"Eh!  .  .  .  What's  that?' 

The  night  air,  which  had  grown  cold,  now 
fully  aroused  him,  and  he  saw  me. 


184       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"What  is  this?  Whose  elephant  is  this?  Can 
it  be  he  who  has  waked  me  up,  poking  me  with 
his  trunk? — does  he  mean  to  hurt  me,  I  won- 
der?' 

He  got  up,  painfully  and  with  difficulty.  I 
gave  a  few  little  supplicating  whimpers,  to  show 
that,  on  the  contrary,  I  was  asking  for  his  sym- 
pathy. Pretty  soon  he  ceased  to  fear  me. 

"Well!"  said  he,  "I  do  not  know  where  you 
come  from,  but — bah ! — that  is  none  of  my  busi- 
ness! We  should  treat  animals  as  kindly  as 
human  beings.  It  looks  as  if  you  wanted  to  make 
friends  with  me!"  I  bent  my  head  in  sign  of 
assent,  as  I  had  seen  men  do. 

"You  seem  very  intelligent !  I  am  only  a  poor 
unfortunate  Brahman,  in  'Apad,'  obliged  to  ac- 
cept the  hardest  sort  of  work  in  order  to  live, 
and  to  labour  at  tasks  that  are  far  beneath  my 
rank.  No  doubt  I  am  expiating  sins  committed 
in  some  former  existence.  But,  follow  me,  if 
you  choose!  You  shall  share  my  poor  living: 
and,  perhaps,  you  may  even  prove  useful  to  me ; 
for  one  who  owns  an  elephant  can  obtain  more 


THE    BRAHMAN  185 

lucrative  employment  than  he  who  has  only  his 
strong  arms  and  good-will  to  offer." 

To  show  him  that  I  accepted  his  proposal  to 
live  with  him  for  the  future,  I  bent  my  forefoot, 
inviting  him  to  mount  on  my  back.  He  under- 
stood, and  climbed  up,  and  when  he  had  settled 
himself  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  he  said : 

"Go  ahead!  Follow  the  road  before  you! 
Perhaps  the  Gods  have  sent  you  to  me  for  my  ad- 
vantage !  Choose  your  own  way.  I  have  neither 
house  nor  friends ;  anybody  may  receive  us  who 
will." 

I  was  no  longer  alone ;  and  in  my  forlorn  con- 
dition this  was  a  bit  of  good  luck.  I  walked 
along  the  road,  feeling  less  despondent,  and  car- 
rying my  new  master. 

This  new  master  was  called  Moukounj.  Many 
a  time  when  we  tramped  long  distances  without 
finding  any  one  who  would  give  work  to  either 
or  both  of  us,  I  would  hear  him  talking  to  him- 
self, and  recounting  his  misfortunes,  and  I  ended 
by  knowing  them  by  heart.  His  tale  was  simple 
enough.  He  belonged  to  a  rich  family  of  Brah- 


l86       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

mans,  and  had  spent  his  youth  at  Lahore,  where 
he  had  received  instruction  in  all  that  it  behoved 
a  Brahman  to  know,  at  the  hands  of  excellent 
masters.  Later  on  the  Rajah  of  the  Mahrattas 
took  him  into  his  service  as  "pourohita";  the 
"pourohita"  is  a  priest  whom  the  princes  employ 
to  offer  sacrifices  to  the  Gods  in  their  name.  I 
have  heard  the  English  say  that  rich  Europeans 
employ  priests  of  their  own  religion  to  perform 
similar  duties,  and  that  they  are  called  "chap- 
lains" 

Moukounj  was  highly  thought  of  by  the  Rajah 
of  the  Mahrattas,  who  treated  him  in  the  most 
friendly  manner;  and  he  might  have  risen  to  emi- 
nence and  great  honour,  had  it  not  been  for  a 
terrible  fault.  He  could  not  resist  the  tempta- 
tion of  drinking  strong  liquors  and  was  contin- 
ually getting  drunk.  When  intoxicated,  he  had 
several  times  been  guilty  of  grave  infractions  of 
the  Court  etiquette,  and  in  spite  of  the  regard 
felt  for  him  by  the  Rajah,  he  was  dismissed. 

This  disgrace  did  not  cure  Moukounj  of  his 
weakness;  on  the  contrary,  he  fell  into  the  way 


THE    BRAHMAN  l8y 

of  drinking  more  and  more.  At  last,  avoided  by 
everyone,  turned  out  of  every  household,  de- 
spised by  the  other  Brahmans,  he  finally  sank  to 
beggary,  and  tramped  about  the  country,  thank- 
ful to  take  any  sort  of  work  that  offered.  He  had 
been  a  Cook;  he  had  been  a  Stone-mason — but 
everywhere  his  fault  prevented  him  from  remain- 
ing any  length  of  time. 

At  present  he  was  engaged  most  of  the  time  in 
helping  the  Navvies  and  the  Stevedores,  and  he 

s 

lived  on  very  meagre  wages,  the  greater  portion 
of  which  he  spent  for  that  yellow  liquor  which 
the  Europeans  call  "Eau-de-Vie"  ("Water-of- 
Life") — why  I  do  not  know,  for  it  seems  to  me 
that,  far  from  giving  them  life,  it  slowly  kills 
them!  .  .  . 

Thanks  to  me,  Moukounj  was  now  a  little  bet- 
ter off;  he  hired  me  out  to  carry  heavy  burthens, 
and  himself  to  carry  light  ones;  and  the  coarse 
vegetables  he  bought  to  feed  me  cost  but  very 
little. 

Our  life  was  very  monotonous.  If  we  found 
ourselves  in  a  city  where  Moukounj  could  not 


l88       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

find  work — we  left,  and  wandered  on  till  we 
found  something  to  do. 

Moukounj  was,  on  the  whole,  not  a  bad  fel- 
low— always  ready  to  be  useful  where  he  could 
— the  way  he  had  received  me  was  proof  of  this ! 
He  was  jolly  and  good-natured,  and  loved  to  re- 
member and  recite  the  fine  speeches  he  had 
learned  at  Lahore.  But  when  drunk  his  disposi- 
tion changed;  he  grew  irritable;  he  became  ugly 
and  violently  angry;  he  quarrelled  with  his  fel- 
low-workmen, and  went  so  far  as  to  beat  me. 

I  certainly  was  not  happy.  When  the  work  I 
was  employed  in  seemed  too  humiliating,  and 
when  Moukounj  lashed  me  with  blows — I  suf- 
fered bitterly.  But  why  rebel"?  Things  might 
be  worse — so  I  submitted. 

I  thought  constantly  of  my  old  life,  wonder- 
ing what  had  become  of  the  lovely  Parvati ;  did 
the  Prince  love  her?  .  .  .  Was  she  happy?  .  .  . 
Did  she  ever  remember  me?  .  .  . 

I  tried  to  frame  replies  to  these  questions  that 
would  be  as  comforting  as  possible,  and  these 
thoughts  softened  somewhat  my  sorrows. 


THE    BRAHMAN  189 

I  never  could  tell  you  the  names  of  all  the 
cities  we  saw,  all  the  rivers  I  crossed,  the  moun- 
tains I  climbed  with  Moukounj.  I  remember  one 
French  city  where  I  helped  to  build  a  palace  for 
the  Governor;  I  also  carried  the  rails  for  a  tram- 
way they  were  building  just  outside  of  Madras. 
I  did  much  other  work  of  about  the  same  kind, 
and  I  passed  several  years  in  this  wandering  and 
monotonous  existence. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE    IRON    RING 

WE  wandered  on,  going  from  village  to  vil- 
lage, from  town  to  town,  from  city  to  city,  till  we 
finally  reached  Calcutta.  And  here  my  life  was 
once  more  changed. 

It  happened  in  this  way. 

We  had  been  stopping  a  long  time  in  this  great 
city,  where  Moukounj  was  always  able  to  find 
work  for  us  both.  The  English  language  which 
he  had  learned  in  his  youth  was  often  of  great 
advantage  to  him  here. 

We  had  been  working  for  several  days  on  the 
wharves,  where  we  were  employed  in  unloading 
vessels.  The  heaviest  burthens  were  as  noth- 
ing to  me,  and  Moukounj  was  alert  and  insinuat- 
ing, and  so  was  able  to  render  a  thousand  little 
services  to  the  travellers  and  also  to  the  sailors. 
He  was  now  earning  a  generous  living  for  us; 

but  alas!  it  only  resulted  in  more  frequent  and 

190 


THE   IRON    RING 

more  furious  fits  of  drunkenness  for  him — and 
for  me  in  blows  and  humiliations. 

It  often  happened  that  he  went  off  to  drink  at 
the  neighbouring  taverns,  and  left  me  alone  to 
stand  and  await  his  return — he  knew  very  well 
that  I  would  be  faithful ! 

Now,  one  day  we  had  been  helping  to  unload 
the  cargo  of  a  large  merchantman,  and 
Moukounj  had  left  me  a  few  vegetables  to  eat, 
and  had  gone  off  to  drink,  when  there  came  in, 
at  the  same  wharf,  a  large  Liner,  bringing  a  great 
many  passengers.  I  was  distressed  that  my  mas- 
ter should  miss  a  chance  to  gain  so  many  rupees 
— but  I  felt  it  would  be  useless  to  go  in  search  of 
him.  The  wisest  way  would  be  to  wait  patiently 
for  his  return,  and  that  was  what  I  did.  Mou- 
kounj might  return  in  time — I  could  only  hope  he 
would  not  be  drunk ! 

I  watched  the  passengers  as  they  disembarked. 
They  were  Europeans,  mostly  English,  who  ran 
about,  here  and  there,  asking  questions  of  the 
porters,  not  making  themselves  understood,  nor 
understanding  what  was  said  to  them.  The  spec- 


THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

tacle  amused  me  greatly,  and  I  watched  them 
closely,  trying  to  imagine  from  their  looks  what 
each  one  would  do.  ...  It  was  not  long  before 
I  remarked  among  them  a  group  of  persons  whose 
calmness  contrasted  with  the  agitation  of  the  oth- 
ers. They  numbered  something  like  twenty; 
there  were  about  as  many  women  as  men;  all 
were  young,  and  well  dressed.  It  did  not  seem 
that  the  voyage  had  fatigued  them;  they  stood 
together  on  the  wharf,  taking  but  little  notice  of 
their  surroundings. 

One  of  them  now  quietly  reviewed  the  com- 
pany, and,  seeing  that  none  of  them  were  miss- 
ing: 

"We  may  as  well  go  to  the  Hotel,"  said  he  to 
his  companions. 

The^i,  addressing  one  of  the  young  men,  he 
said : 

"Mr.  Oldham,  you  will  please  remain  here  and 
see  to  the  unloading  of  our  baggage." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Hardwick,  I  will  do  so,"  replied  he. 
Then  all  except  Mr.  Oldham  went  quietly  off. 

I  looked  curiously  at  this  Mr.  Oldham;  he  was 


THE    IRON    RING 

a  most  singular  young  man — tall  and  thin,  with 
very  long  arms  and  legs,  and  enormous  hands. 
His  head  was  small,  his  mouth  stretched  from 
ear  to  ear,  and  his  cheek-bones  projected 
strangely.  While  waiting  for  the  luggage  to  be 
landed,  Mr.  Oldham  strode  up  and  down,  seem- 
ingly impatient,  and  murmuring  something  to 
himself  which  I  did  not  understand. 

I  was  in  despair  at  Moukounj's  absence. 
These  strangers,  thought  I,  must  have  a  lot  of 
baggage,  perhaps  very  heavy,  and  if  my  master 
were  here  we  would  get  plenty  to  do. 

While  thinking  about  it  I  was  playing  me- 
chanically with  a  great  ring  of  iron  which  lay 
at  my  feet.  It  had  once  been  fastened  into  the 
ground,  but  it  was  no  longer  secure,  and  in  play- 
ing I  had  unintentionally  loosened  it.  I  was  now 
amusing  myself  by  tossing  it  up  in  the  air,  and 
catching  it  on  my  trunk  as  it  fell. 

All  at  once  the  eyes  of  Mr.  Oldham  turned  in 
my  direction,  and  he  began  to  watch  me  closely. 
My  play  seemed  to  interest  him,  and  he  called 
one  of  the  workmen  on  the  wharf,  and  inquired : 


194       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"Do  you  know  who  is  the  owner  of  that  ele- 
phant?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  the  man,  "it  is  a  poor  fellow 
who  works  here  at  unloading  ships." 

"He  has  got  a  very  intelligent  animal!" 

That  was  all. 

But  Mr.  Oldham  continued  to  look  at  me ;  and 
as  for  myself,  my  vanity  being  awakened,  I  made 
a  point  of  not  missing  a  single  ring,  and  Mr.  Old- 
ham  gave  vent  to  "Ohs!"  and  "Ahs!"  of  admira- 
tion, and  murmured : 

"  'The  Elephant  Juggler — That  would  look 
well  on  our  play  bills!" 

They  now  began  to  bring  ashore  the  lug- 
gage of  Mr.  Oldham  and  his  friends. 

There  were  enormous  boxes  and  crates  of 
strange  shapes,  bales  of  rope,  stacks  of  poles,  and 
many  things  scarcely  covered  at  all,  of  which  I 
could  not  imagine  the  use.  Then  they  brought 
up  out  of  the  ship  great  chariots,  cages  of  wild 
animals,  and  at  last  numbers  of  horses,  who 
seemed  bewildered  by  the  voyage. 

Well,  these  are  strange  travellers,  thought  I — 


THE    IRON    RING 

and  they  have  strange  luggage!  They  loaded 
the  boxes  and  bales  onto  the  chariots,  and  har- 
nessed to  them  the  least  fine-looking  of  the 
horses ;  a  number  of  men,  who  seemed  to  be  the 
servants  of  Mr.  Oldham,  took  the  horses  by  the 
bridle,  or  mounted  on  the  chariots,  and  all  were 
moving  off,  when  Moukounj  arrived ! 

He  was  not  very  drunk,  and  he  went  at  once 
to  Mr.  Oldham  to  offer  his  services.  It  was  too 
late.  But  as  he  pointed  towards  me,  Mr.  Old- 
ham  said  to  him : 

"Ah!  You  are  the  owner  of  that  intelligent 
beast4?  You  had  better  come  to  the  Hotel  Vic- 
toria, and  ask  for  Mr.  John  Hardwick,  Director 
of  the  'Grand  Circus  of  the  Two  Worlds' — he 
may  have  something  to  say  to  you  that  will  be  to 
your  advantage." 

And  Mr.  Oldham  went  off  with  the  chariots 
and  baggage. 

At  first  Moukounj  never  thought  of  going  to 
see  Mr.  John  Hardwick.  He  could  not  under- 
stand what  the  Director  of  the  "Circus  of  the 

Two  Worlds"  could  have  to  say  to  him.  But  fate 

14 


196       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

ordained  that  for  the  next  two  days  we  had  al- 
most no  work,  and  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of 
starvation.  It  was  then  that  he  remembered  Mr. 
Oldham's  invitation.  He  thought  that  even  if 
Mr.  Hardwick  had  nothing  of  importance  to  pro- 
pose, he  might  at  least  take  pity  on  him,  and  give 
him  a  little  something  in  charity. 

So,  having  warned  me — a  useless  precaution 
— to  remain  patiently  where  I  was,  he  set  off  for 
the  Victoria  Hotel. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

THE    GRAND    CIRCUS   OF   THE   TWO    WORLDS 

IN  about  an  hour  Moukounj  returned,  joyous, 
and  as  he  came  near  me  he  embraced  my  trunk. 

"Ah!  my  brave  companion!  My  faithful 
friend!  How  great  is  the  wisdom  of  the  Sage 
who  says :  'H e  who  is  clever  will  be  a  stranger  in 
no  country;  for  him  who  is  contented  with  little, 
there  is  no  anxiety;  for  him  who  is  wise,  there  are 
no  surprises;  for  him  who  is  determined,  nothing 
is  impossible!' — How  true  are  these  sayings! 
And  equally  so  is  this  one :  'The  life  of  mankind 
is  as  uncertain  as  the  reflection  of  the  Moon  on 
water;  for  this  reason  we  must  practise  Vir- 
tue!' .  .  .  Yes — yes — we  must  practise  Virtue ; 
and  it  is  because  I  have  done  so,  and  because  I 
have  so  cheerfully  endured  my  misfortunes,  that 
to-day  the  Gods  have  sent  me  better  luck !" 

He  ceased  speaking,  and  danced  around  me, 

clapping  his  hands.    Then  he  resumed : 

197 


198       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"Yes,  yes,  old  fellow!  life  is,  indeed,  as  uncer- 
tain as  the  reflection  of  the  Moon  on  water. 
When  I  was  young  and  was  studying  books  of 
wisdom  at  Lahore,  I  would  have  laughed  at  any- 
one who  told  me  that  I  would  one  day  be  em- 
ployed in  unloading  ships  on  the  wharf  at  Cal- 
cutta; and  yesterday  I  would  have  laughed  at 
him  who  said  that  to-day  I  should  belong  to  the 
troupe  of  Mr.  John  Hardwick,  Director  of  the 
'Grand  Circus  of  the  Two  Worlds' — and  never- 
theless— that  is  what  has  happened !" 

He  hugged  me  again,  and  continued : 

"Oh,  my  friend!  My  saviour!  thou,  who,  for 
all  I  know,  may  be  Ganesa  Himself!  .  .  . 
Henceforth,  we  shall  have  a  sure  refuge!  We 
will  no  longer  have  to  sleep  in  a  ditch  by  the 
roadside  on  rainy  nights.  .  .  .  We  will  not  have 
to  go  hungry!  No!  we  shall  live  in  comfort, 
well-paid,  and  fed  by  the  kind  Mr.  John  Hard- 
wick.  .  .  .  Good  Fortune  has  found  us  at  last!" 
And  thereupon  he  told  me  of  his  interview. 

"I  went  to  the  Hotel  Victoria,"  said  he;  "I 
asked  for  Mr.  John  Hardwick,  and  was  shown 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS 

into  the  presence  of  a  man,  still  young,  but  of 
so  serious  and  grave  an  appearance  that  I  felt 
timid  and  embarrassed — I  who  had  never  before 
felt  fear!  (For,  what  says  the  Sage?  'In  the 
forest,  in  the  jungle,  on  perilous  roads,  in  fierce 
encounters,  and  in  troubles,  under  the  threaten- 
ing s  of  swords — Virtuous  men  feel  no  fear!') 
Mr.  Hardwick  had  with  him  the  young  man  who 
spoke  to  me  the  other  day,  whom  he  called  Mr. 
Oldham.  On  seeing  me  this  young  man  said : 

'  'Ah!  this  is  the  man  I  spoke  to  you  about, 
who  has  the  clever  elephant.'  And  he  began  at 
once  to  sound  your  praises,  talking  about  some- 
thing which  I  could  not  quite  understand;  he 
spoke  continually  of  an  'iron  ring'  with  which  he 
had  seen  you  playing.  .  .  . 

"Mr.  Hardwick  then  asked  if  I  would  sell  you. 

"  1*? — Sell  an  elephant  sent  to  me  by  the 
Gods  .  .  .  who  perhaps  is  a  God  himself?  .  .  . 
Never! — Never!'  said  I. 

"  That  is  a  pity,'  said  Mr.  Oldham:  'for  this 
elephant  would  undoubtedly  be  a  great  addition 
.to  the  attractions  of  our  company.' 


2OO       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"  'Well,  it  cannot  be  helped/  said  Mr.  Hard- 
wick. 

"I  was  about  to  retire  when  Mr.  Oldham 
signed  to  me  to  remain,  and  addressing  Mr. 
Hardwick,  said : 

'  Terhaps  matters  might  be  arranged  in  a  way 
that  would  be  satisfactory  to  all.  How  would  it 
do  to  engage  both  the  elephant  and  his  master?" 

1  'Give  me  five  minutes  to  think/  said  Mr. 
Hardwick.  Oh !  there  is  a  man  who  knows  how 
to  make  up  his  mind  in  a  hurry !  The  five  min- 
utes being  ended,  Mr.  Hardwick  turned  to  me 
and  asked : 

'Will  you  agree  to  form,  with  your  elephant, 
a  part  of  our  Troupe  *?' 

"As  for  me  I  had  no  need  to  ask  time  for  re- 
flection ;  it  took  me  but  a  minute  to  make  up  my 
mind,  and  accept!  .  .  .  To  tell  the  truth,  I  did 
not  exactly  understand  in  what  way  Mr.  John 
Hardwick  was  expecting  to  employ  us;  but  he 
seemed  to  be  a  man  of  wealth,  who  would  at  any 
rate  provide  us  with  a  living.  So  I  said,  'Yes/ 
And  I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  regret  it." 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS     2O1 

And  once  more,  singing  and  laughing,  he 
capered  around  me.  Then,  all  at  once  becoming 
serious,  he  added : 

"Mr.  Oldham  later  on  told  me  something  of 
Mr.  Hardwick's  business.  It  seems  he  exhibits 
trained  animals;  and  the  members  of  his  com- 
pany perform  feats  of  strength  and  skill.  So 
now,  my  friend,  in  place  of  toiling  and  exhaust- 
ing yourself  in  hard  work,  you  have  only  to 
amuse  the  public  with  your  accomplishments — 
and  we  shall  never  know  want  again !" 

I  must  confess  I  was  not  so  delighted  as  my 
master.  Although  I  had  been  glad  to  divert  dear 
ones  like  Saphire-of-Heaven  and  Parvati,  I  felt 
very  disinclined  to  entertain  those  to  whom  I  was 
indifferent.  My  present  life  was  certainly  hard 
enough,  but  at  least  it  afforded  me  an  opportun- 
ity to  indulge  my  regrets;  while  I  understood 
that  I  would  be  called  upon  to  be  gay  at  stated 
times,  even  if  the  most  melancholy  thoughts 
were  at  the  moment  distressing  me.  However,  I 
could  not  spoil  the  happiness  of  Moukounj,  and 
I  responded  in  a  friendly  manner. 


2O2       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

We  soon  left  the  wharf,  and  went  to  join  Mr. 
John  Hardwick.  And  thus  it  was  that  I  entered 
the  company  of  "The  Grand  Circus  of  the  Two 
Worlds." 

That  evening  Mr.  Hardwick  introduced  us  to 
his  Troupe.  He  had  hired  a  large  vacant  space 
on  which  his  circus  was  encamped ;  it  was  a  great 
framework  of  wood  and  iron,  which  could  be  set 
up  and  taken  down  very  quickly.  When  put  to- 
gether it  presented  a  very  elegant  and  comfort- 
able appearance,  and  no  one  would  suppose  that 
only  a  few  hours  would  be  required  to  take  it 
apart  and  pile  it  on  the  chariots.  It  was  arranged 
in  two  sections — the  Circus  proper  with  the 
Ring  and  the  Benches,  and  the  Stables,  with 
rooms  where  the  grooms  and  inferior  employees 
of  the  company  were  accommodated ;  the  import- 
ant members  lodged  at  the  Hotel,  with  the  Di- 
rector. When  we  reached  the  Circus,  Mr.  Hard- 
wick designated  the  place  I  was  to  occupy  in  the 
Stable,  and  the  room  which  Moukounj  (who  re- 
fused to  allow  anyone  else  to  look  after  me)  was 
to  share  with  one  of  the  grooms. 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS     2O3 

We  were  then  conducted  to  the  Ring,  where 
all  the  company  were  assembled.  They  were  the 
very  persons  whom  I  had  seen  arriving  three  days 
before. 

The  Director  then  made  a  speech,  as  follows : 

"Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  allow  me  to  intro- 
duce to  you  Monsieur  Moukounj  and  his  Ele- 
phant. My  valued  friend  and  assistant,  Mr. 
Oldham,  informs  me  that  this  Elephant  is  a  re- 
markable animal,  whom  he  has  seen  execute  a 
difficult  and  interesting  exercise  without  any  pre- 
vious instruction.  As  a  member  of  our  Troupe, 
he  will  do  honour  to  our  Company,  already  so 
celebrated.  I  bespeak,  therefore,  a  kind  recep- 
tion for  the  Elephant  and  his  Master." 

The  Company  came  forward  very  politely,  one 
after  another,  to  greet  Moukounj,  and  to  caress 
me;  and  Mr.  Hard  wick,  addressing  Moukounj, 
introduced  each  one  by  name. 

"This,  Monsieur,  is  Mr.  Oldham,  with  whom 
you  are  already  acquainted.  He  is  our  Premier 
Clown,  and  Stage  Manager. 

"This  is  Mr.  Edward  Greathorse,  our  Ring- 


2O4       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

master,  and  his  wife,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished Equilibrists  in  the  world,  and  their  two 
children,  Master  William  Greathorse,  who  has 
not  his  equal  for  vaulting  through  a  paper  circle, 
and  coming  down  plumb  in  the  right  spot  on  his 
horse — and  Miss  Annie  Greathorse,  who  has 
made  a  study  of  the  Trapeze,  and  has  acquired 
all  the  secrets  of  that  difficult  art." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greathorse  did  not  please  me  at 
all.  Mr.  Greathorse  was  a  very  tall,  thin  man 
of  about  forty;  one  felt  at  once  that  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  speaking  only  to  horses — and  of  speak- 
ing to  them  brutally!  Mrs.  Greathorse  was 
about  the  same  age  as  her  husband,  and  quite  as 
tall.  She  was  as  fat  as  he  was  thin;  her  vulgar 
face  had  a  look  of  hardness,  and  her  nose  was  ex- 
traordinarily flat.  The  reason  of  this  I  learned 
later  on;  it  was  occasioned  by  her  specialty  of 
balancing  upon  that  feature  a  pole  with  a  heavy 
iron  ball  on  the  end ! 

Master  Greathorse,  who  might  have  been 
about  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  old,  displeased 
me  excessively;  he  had  a  sly  look,  and  seemed  to 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS 

enjoy  nothing  so  much  as  playing  malicious  jokes 
at  the  expense  of  the  other  members  of  the  com- 
pany. The  only  one  of  the  family  who  attracted 
me  was  Miss  Annie.  She  was  a  very  young  girl, 
almost  a  child,  not  over  fifteen  at  the  outside, 
and  very  fragile,  with  arms  developed  out  of  all 
proportion  by  her  exercise  on  the  trapeze.  It  was 
easy  to  see  that  she  worked  too  hard  and  was 
a  sufferer;  she  had  a  pale,  gentle  face  and  fair, 
pretty  hair. 

After  the  Greathorses  there  advanced  six  per- 
sons, all  wonderfully  alike,  although  their  ages 
varied  from  nine  or  ten  to  thirty-five  years. 

"The  Smith  Brothers,  Monsieur,"  said  Mr. 
Hardwick:  "most  interesting  gentlemen! — 
Until  you  have  seen  them  form  the  'Human  Py- 
ramid/ you  do  not  know  to  what  heights  the 
Acrobatic  Art  has  attained !" 

The  "Smith  Brothers"  all  smiled  at  once,  with 
the  same  smile,  which  seemed  to  have  coagulated 
and  become  a  fixture  upon  their  lips. 

The  next  to  come  forward  was  a  very  pretty 
and  elegant  young  woman : 


2O6       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"Miss  Clara  Morley,  our  accomplished  'Ama- 
zon'— you  will  have  an  opportunity  to  admire 
her  in  her  clever  equestrian  exercises." 

After  Miss  Morley  came  three  men  and  three 
women,  none  of  them  either  fat  or  thin,  tall  or 
short,  handsome  or  ugly — but  all  very  well 
dressed  and  civil. 

"Our  Riders,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crampton,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bampton,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mapton." 

Mr.  Hardwick  next  presented : 

"Mr.  Nilo  Bong,  the  famous  Gymnast  from 
Tonquin — the  Ulverstone  Sisters,  Miss  Jane  and 
Miss  Lucy  Ulverstone,  who  every  evening,  Mon- 
sieur, astonish  and  delight  the  audience  by  their 
dexterity  on  the  Horizontal  Bar. 

"Mr.  Pound — to  whom  the  lifting  of  a  two- 
hundred  pound  weight  is  a  mere  joke,  and  Mrs. 
Pound,  his  wife,  the  'Fairy  of  the  Revolver — at 
100  feet  she  would  not  miss  a  nut!  .  .  . 

"Mr.  Tom  Liverpool,  the  Champion  Pugilist, 
whom  no  one  has  ever  been  able  to  vanquish! 

"Miss  Alice  Jewel,  who  crosses  the  Ganges  at 
its  widest  part  on  a  Wire!"  .  .  . 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS     2OJ 

All  these  people  I  found  uninteresting  and  in- 
significant. Mr.  Nilo  Bong  might  call  himself  a 
Chinese,  and  his  eyes  were  a  little  oblique,  but 
his  complexion  proved  him  to  be  a  European; 
Mr.  Pound  and  Mr.  Liverpool  were  huge  men, 
but  very  unintelligent  in  appearance;  Mrs. 
Pound  was  a  small  woman  —  very  thin,  with  a 
sharp  expression;  Miss  Jane  and  Miss  Lucy 
Ulverstone  were  modest,  well-mannered  young 
women,  who  bowed  politely. 

There  remained  to  be  introduced  only  four 
more  persons,  two  men,  and  two  women. 

The  two  men  were  strikingly  alike,  and  both 
bore  a  singular  resemblance  to  Mr.  Oldham;  but 
the  features  which  in  him  were  merely  quaint 
and  amusing,  were  in  them  so  exaggerated  as  to 
be  grotesque  ;  and  the  oddity  of  their  appearance 
was  increased  by  an  affected  air  of  extreme  grav-, 


When  their  turn  came  to  be  introducer1,  and  I 
"Mr.  Trick  and  Mr.  Trock,  Monsierne  public 
Mr.  Hardwick:  "I  should  not  hesit?' 
them  the  most  brilliantly  amusing  Clhat  he  came 


2O8       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

world,  if  they  themselves  did  not  recognize  their 
superior  in  Mr.  Oldham  .  .  .  they  are  Gaiety's 
favorite  children !"  .  .  . 

Messrs.  Trick  and  Trock  bowed  to  Moukounj, 
and  a  very  handsome  young  woman  with  black 
eyes  and  golden  hair  approached : 

"Miss  Sarah  Skipton,  Monsieur — the  divine 
Artiste  to  whom  we  owe  the  'Dance  of  Light' 3 

Miss  Sarah  Skipton  bowed  pleasantly,  and  last 
of  all  Mr.  Hardwick  presented  a  young  girl  who 
seemed  to  me  the  very  embodiment  of  grace — 
with  hair  of  delicate  blond,  and  blue  eyes  that 
were  a  smile  in  themselves. 

"Miss  Sarah  Skipton  is,  one  may  say,  the  Star 
of  our  Troupe;  Miss  Circe  Nightingale  is  the 
Pearl !  She  is  the  gentle  'Charmer  of  Birds'  and 
when  you  see  her  surrounded  by  her  escort  of 
warblers  and  nightingales,  you  would  take  her 
lOoT16  °^  vour  divine  Goddesses!  .  .  ." 

"Mr  ^rc<^  Nightingale  smiled  graciously  on 
whom  no^J'  anc^  caressed  me  with  her  pretty  hand 

"Miss  A*me — ^or  wnich  I  thanked  her,  feeling 
its  widest  piwe  were 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS     2OQ 

To  sum  up,  all  these  people,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greathorse,  young  Great- 
horse,  and  Mrs.  Pound,  seemed  fairly  agreeable, 
and  I  felt  that  it  ought  not  to  be  particularly  un- 
pleasant to  live  with  them.  For  four  of  them  I 
already  felt  a  certain  sympathy;  the  elegance  of 
Miss  Clara  Morley  pleased  me;  she  seemed  so 
gentle  with  animals,  and  it  was  evidently  not  by 
severity  that  she  managed  her  horses.  For  Miss 
Annie  Greathorse  I  felt  a  sincere  pity;  I  was  sure 
that  she  was  unhappy  and  badly  treated,  and 
thought  that  perhaps  the  time  might  come  when 
I  would  be  able  to  protect  her.  I  admired  the 
radiant  beauty  of  Miss  Sarah  Skipton,  and  the 
exquisite  grace  of  Miss  Circe  Nightingale  de- 
lighted me;  and  I  said  to  myself:  "I  shall  have 
here  four  Friends — and  four  Enemies!" 

When  the  Troupe  had  all  been  introduced, 
Mr.  Hardwick  said  to  Moukounj : 

"This  is  our  first  evening  in  Calcutta,  and  I 
would  like  to  present  your  elephant  to  the  public 
as  soon  as  possible;  what  is  his  name?" 

"As  it  was  at  a  time  of  distress  that  he  came 


21O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

to  me,  from  I  know  not  where,  and  as  he  brought 
me  consolation — I  call  him  'Devadatta,'  which 
in  our  language  signifies  'Sent-by-the-Gods.'  : 

"Very  good!  We  will  then  call  him  on  our 
bills,  'The  Famous  Elephant  Devadatta  .  .  . 
But,  tell  me,  is  there  not  one  of  your  gods  whom 
you  represent  with  the  head  of  an  elephant?" 

"The  Divine  Ganesa,  God  of  Wisdom,  has  an 
elephant's  head,"  replied  Moukounj. 

"Excellent!"  cried  Mr.  Hard  wick :"  'The 
Famous  Elephant  Devadatta,  Brother  of  Ga- 
nesa, in  his  various  Acts' — that  is  the  thing! 
What  do  you  think  of  that,  Mr.  Oldham  ?' 

"It  will  be  admirable,"  replied  Mr.  Oldham. 

"Now,"  continued  Mr.  Hardwick,  "we  must 
decide  what  exercises  to  teach  him.  You  are  the 
one  who  discovered  him,  and  it  is  to  you  that  I 
shall  confide  his  education." 

"I  feel  honoured,  Mr.  Hardwick,"  said  Mr. 
Oldham;  "his  lessons  will  not  take  long,  and  will 
be  commenced  at  once.  But  first,  I  would  like 
to  have  him  repeat  before  you  the  game  with 
which  he  was  amusing  himself  on  the  wharf." 


THE  GRAND  CIRCUS  OF  THE  TWO  WORLDS     211 

Mr.  Oldham  ordered  the  Iron  Ring  to  be 
brought,  and  I  understood  that  I  was  to  play 
with  it  as  I  had  done  before.  Mr.  Hardwick  was 
satisfied. 

"That  is  very  well,"  said  he,  "and  if  he  could 
play  with  several  at  a  time  it  would  be  perfec- 
tion." 

Some  more  Rings  were  brought ;  I  threw  them 
all  into  the  air  and  caught  them  all  on  my  trunk, 
I  did  not  miss  one.    And  Mr.  Hardwick  was  en- 
thusiastic. 
15 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

MY    DEBUT 

THE  next  day  the  play-bills  of  the  "Grand  Cir- 
cus of  the  Two  Worlds'  bore  the  following  an- 
nouncement : 

ELEPHANT   JUGGLER 

The  Famous  "Devadatta" 

Brother  of  Ganesa 

When  the  evening  arrived,  and  the  perform- 
ance was  about  to  begin,  I  was  not  much  excited 
— but  terribly  ashamed.  I  thought,  "What  would 
Parvati  say  if  she  could  see  me4?  I  am  about  to 
amuse  an  audience  by  ridiculous  tricks;  and  if 
I  should  be  so  unlucky  as  to  let  slip  a  ring,  no 
doubt  I  shall  be  punished!  Mr.  Oldham,  it  is 
true,  has  a  fairly  good-natured  face,  but  Mr. 


212 


MY    DEBUT  213 

Greathorse  might  make  himself  very  disagree- 
able— and  no  doubt  threaten  me,  as  he  does  the 
horses,  who  at  the  moment  were  making  the  tour 
of  the  Ring." 

The  performance  began  by  an  Equestrian  Act, 
by  Messrs.  Crampton,  Hampton,  and  Bampton. 
The  horses  were  expected  to  leap  over  various 
obstacles,  and  as  I  stood  near  the  door,  I  could 
see  Mr.  Greathorse  in  the  centre  of  the  Ring, 
with  an  enormous  whip  in  his  hand,  cutting  the 
air  with  slashing  strokes,  to  excite  the  poor  crea- 
tures, and  when  one  of  them,  in  spite  of  the  ef- 
forts of  the  rider  and  the  cracking  of  the  lash, 
hesitated  to  jump,  he  looked  as  if  he  would  have 
Seen  glad  to  proceed  from  threats  to  blows ! 

After  the  Cramptons,  the  Hamptons,  and  the 
Bamptons,  the  Ul verstone  Sisters  appeared ;  but 
while  the  bar  was  being  placed  in  position  three 
singular  persons  bounded  into  the  Ring — one 
turning  handsprings,  one  walking  on  his  hands, 
and  the  other  disjointing  himself  in  a  series  of 
summersaults.  They  were  dressed  in  a  large, 
loose  garment,  made  all  in  one  piece,  and  deco- 


214      THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

rated  with  strange  patterns ;  one  had  a  rising  sun 
painted  in  the  middle  of  his  back  and  on  his  stom- 
ach, and  one  had  an  enormous  frog.  All  had 
their  faces  whitened  with  flour,  and  wore  wigs 
of  white  or  red  with  a  long  lock  standing  up  at 
the  crown.  .  .  .  They  amused  the  public  by  all 
sorts  of  extravagances;  they  exchanged  buffets 
with  each  other;  threw  themselves  down  on  the 
ground,  and  jumped  up  suddenly.  .  .  .  They 
pretended  to  assist  the  servants  who  were  adjust- 
ing the  bar,  and  perpetually  tumbled  down  in 
the  most  grotesque  attitudes.  The  public 
laughed  loudly  at  their  antics. 

I  looked  very  earnestly  at  these  persons,  and  I 
finally  discovered  underneath  the  flour  the  fea- 
tures of  Mr.  Trick,  Mr.  Trock — and  Mr.  Old- 
ham!  I  was  greatly  astonished,  and  somewhat 
shocked  to  have  for  my  Preceptor  a  gentleman 
who  could  so  forget  his  dignity ! 

Between  each  number  of  the  program  Mr.  Old- 
ham,  and  Messrs.  Trick  and  Trock  repeated  their 
buffooneries. 

The  performance  went  along  very  well.    The 


MY   DEBUT  215 

praises  with  which  Mr.  Hardwick  had  showered 
his  companions  in  introducing  us  seemed  to  me 
well  merited.  The  Smith  Brothers  were  won- 
derfully agile;  if  Mrs.  Greathorse  was  unpleas- 
ant to  live  with,  she  was  a  most  adroit  Equili- 
brist ;  Miss  Alice  Jewel  was  extremely  successful 
on  the  Tight-rope.  The  Riders  did  well,  and  I 
was  charmed  with  the  graceful  movements  of 
Miss  Clara  Morley's  horse,  which  she  managed 
altogether  by  kind  words.  Only  poor  Annie 
Greathorse  awakened  my  pity — she  seemed  so  ill 
at  ease  on  her  Trapeze ! 

It  was  after  her  that  the  "Famous  Devadatta'' 
was  to  appear.  And  I  appeared.  I  was  ap- 
plauded, and  on  my  return  from  the  Ring  was 
kindly  received  and  caressed  by  the  members  of 
the  company.  But  I  was  far  from  happy;  the 
least  notice  from  Parvati  would  have  been 
sweeter! 

The  end  of  the  representation  pleased  me  more 
than  all  the  rest;  it  was  finished  by  the  trained 
Birds  of  Miss  Circe  Nightingale,  and  the  "Dance 
of  Light"  by  Miss  Sarah  Skip  ton. 


2l6       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

They  brought  a  great  Cage  into  the  middle  of 
the  Ring,  full  of  all  kinds  of  Birds  singing  most 
delightfully.  Then  Miss  Circe  appeared,  look- 
ing charming  in  a  dress  of  pale  blue,  with  a  sil- 
ver girdle  around  her  waist;  a  silver  comb 
sparkled  in  her  beautiful  blond  hair;  she  held  in 
her  hand  a  silver  flute.  She  went  at  once  to  the 
Cage,  opened  the  door,  and  all  the  Birds  flew  out 
and  circled  round  her,  and  some  perched  on  her 
shoulder.  She  smiled  upon  them  in  a  sweet, 
friendly  way,  and  at  a  little  gesture  from  her, 
they  all  flew  up  to  the  ceiling  of  the  Circus.  She 
then  played  on  the  flute,  and  the  Birds  accom- 
panied her,  and  one  could  not  distinguish  the 
song  of  the  Birds  from  the  notes  of  the  flute. 

Then  she  hastened  the  time  of  the  music  and 
the  Birds  descended  towards  her,  and  circled 
around  her  head,  like  a  kind  of  living  coro- 
net. .  .  .  She  constantly  altered  the  measure  of 
the  music  ,and  the  Birds  who  were  familiar  with 
it  formed  new  figures — all  of  them  most  beauti- 
ful; and  one  might  have  imagined  the  lovely 
Bird  Charmer  to  be  a  Queen  of  Air  I 


MY   DEBUT  2iy 

And  when  the  flute  ceased  Miss  Circe's  gay  lit- 
tle friends  went  joyously  back  into  their  Cage, 
and  the  delighted  audience  applauded  with  en- 
thusiasm. 

Where  the  Cage  had  stood  they  now  brought 
in  and  set  up  a  large  platform,  on  which  Miss 
Sarah  Skipton  mounted,  dressed  in  a  very  full 
gown  of  thin,  light  material,  made  with  an  ex- 
traordinary number  of  flounces  or  plaits;  her 
beautiful  golden  hair  floated  over  her  shoulders. 
Then  the  lights  were  put  out:  only  four  great 
lamps,  or  rather  lanterns,  were  left,  which  shed 
their  rays  directly  onto  the  platform,  surround- 
ing Miss  Sarah  with  a  luminous  aureole.  Then 
they  passed  before  the  lanterns  coloured  glasses, 
and  among  these  reflections,  which  changed  each 
instant,  Sarah  danced.  .  .  .  She  danced  quick 
and  light,  or  slow  and  languid ;  her  dress  whirled 
around  her,  and  grew  red — green — yellow — and 
violet  in  turn — and  sometimes  all  the  colours  of 
the  rainbow  at  once.  She  seemed  a  flower — a 
butterfly — a  bird ;  she  was  the  dawn ;  she  was  the 
twilight ;  she  was  the  storm,  with  flashes  of  light- 


2l8       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

ning;  she  was  the  waves  of  the  sea,  smiling  in  the 
morning  light;  she  was  precious  stones — and  last 
of  all — the  glorious  triumphant  Sun !  .  .  .  And 
suddenly  all  the  lights  were  turned  on,  and  Sarah 
received  the  acclamations  of  the  Audience  in 
triumph ! 

The  performance  was  over.  I  modestly  re- 
tired to  my  stable,  quite  dazzled  by  the  "Dance 
of  Light." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

COMEDIAN 

SOON  a  new  announcement  could  be  read  on 
the  bills  of  the  "Circus  of  the  Two  Worlds." 

The  Celebrated 
DEVADATTA 

Unique  Elephant 

Brother  of 

THE  DIVINE  GANESA 
In  His  Various  Acts 

Mr.  Oldham  had  certainly  acquitted  himself 
remarkably  well  and  rapidly,  with  my  education, 
and  I  now  no  longer  delighted  the  public  by 
merely  juggling  with  rings.  I  performed  at  each 
representation,  always  in  the  same  order  of  suc- 
cession, and  when  my  repertoire  was  completed, 

this  is  what  I  did. 

219 


22O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

First,  I  tossed  the  rings;  then  a  target  was 
placed,  and  I  stood  before  it,  with  a  basket  of 
balls  beside  me.  I  picked  up  the  balls  with  my 
trunk,  and  threw  them  at  the  target — and  I  be- 
lieve I  never  missed. 

The  target  being  removed,  a  huge  ball  of  iron 
was  brought  to  me,  and  I  stood  upon  it  with  my 
four  feet,  balancing  myself,  and  moving  slowly 
forward.  This  exercise  fatigued  me  excessively; 
so,  to  afford  me  a  rest,  I  was  made  to  play  a  Dra- 
matic Scene. 

A  young  King  and  a  beautiful  young  Queen 
were  supposed  to  be  travelling  happily  in  the 
country.  All  at  once  sounds  of  the  hunt  are 
heard;  I  appear — chased  by  horsemen;  the  young 
King  and  Queen  try  in  terror  to  hide  themselves; 
I  pretend  to  be  enraged,  and  run  furiously  two  or 
three  times  round  the  Circus.  Then  I  see  the 
Queen,  and  rush  towards  her.  Then,  in  the 
Scene  as  originally  composed  by  Moukounj — 
(for  my  master  had  become  an  author,  in  order 
to  increase  the  brilliancy  of  my  theatrical  ca- 
reer), the  King  should  strive  to  protect  the 


COMEDIAN  221 

Queen  with  his  person,  draw  his  sword,  and  bury 
it  in  my  breast,  and  I  should  fall,  apparently 
dead.  The  sword,  of  course,  had  a  blade  of  tin, 
which  slipped  up  inside  the  handle.  But  this 
finale  was  changed  by  me  after  the  first  evening. 

It  was  Miss  Nightingale  who  played  the  young 
Queen.  She  was  most  lovely  in  this  part,  with  a 
robe  of  delicate  white  gauze  under  which  glis- 
tened a  tunic  of  mauve  silk.  And  when  I  saw 
her,  looking  so  beautiful,  the  memory  of  Par- 
vati,  which  never  left  me,  came  over  me  more 
vividly  and  tenderly  than  ever  before;  so  that, 
instead  of  rushing  violently  upon  her,  I  stopped; 
and  then  came  forward  slowly,  and  humbly  and 
submissively — knelt  at  her  feet!  The  audience 
applauded  tremendously,  and  it  was  decided  to 
retain  this  denouement  for  the  Scene  hereafter. 

After  this,  I  made  the  circle  of  the  Ring  five 
times  on  a  Bicycle,  an  enormous  Bicycle  built  for 
my  stature.  (You  can  imagine  with  what  diffi- 
culty an  elephant  could  balance  himself  on  such 
a  machine!)  I  worked  the  pedals  with  my  fore- 
feet and  steered  with  my  trunk. 


222       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

Next,  I  had  to  stand  up  and  dance  a  Polka; 
and,  finally,  I  had  to  play  another  Dramatic 
Scene — a  Comedy,  composed  by  Mr.  Oldham. 

They  brought  into  the  middle  of  the  Circus  a 
Table  and  a  Chair  of  the  proper  size  for  me. 
Then  a  couple  of  uprights,  between  which  hung 
a  bell,  with  a  cord  attached. 

I  entered,  sat  down  in  the  chair,  and  with  my 
trunk  pulled  the  bell-cord.  Instantly,  Mr.  Old- 
ham,  dressed  like  a  Waiter,  ran  in.  I  made  him 
understand  that  I  wished  my  dinner. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Elephant — it  will  be  ready  immedi- 
ately!" 

He  went  out.  Then  I  drew  from  a  bag  fast- 
ened around  my  waist  a  pair  of  enormous  spec- 
tacles, and  put  them  on.  Then  I  took  a  news- 
paper and  pretended  to  read — (though  at  that 
time  I  did  not  really  know  how  to  read ! )  After 
a  while,  as  Mr.  Oldham  did  not  return,  I  pre- 
tended to  grow  impatient,  and  rang  again,  and 
Mr.  Oldham  ran  in : 

"Yes,  Mr.  Elephant.  .  .  .  Your  dinner  will 
be  ready  in  a  few  minutes!" 


COMEDIAN  223 

Twice  more  I  rang,  and  twice  Mr.  Oldham  ran 

• 

in  and  repeated  the  same  thing,  "Yes,  Mr.  Ele- 
phant, your  dinner  will  be  ready  in  a  few  min- 
utes"— without  bringing  me  anything.  The 
third  time  he  brought  me  merely  one  dish,  which 
contained  nothing  but  a  few  rolls,  and  I  swal- 
lowed them  in  one  mouthful. 

I  rang  again  and  Mr.  Oldham  appeared ;  I  sig- 
nified that  I  wished  something  more.  After  a 
long  while  he  brought  me  a  second  dish,  with  a 
few  vegetables,  which  I  ate  up  as  quickly  as  the 
first.  I  ordered  another  dish,  and  this  time  he 
brought  me  fruits,  cakes,  and  a  bottle  of  Cham- 
pagne, which  I  popped  loudly! 

I  now  rang  for  the  last  time,  and  signed  that 
I  desired  my  bill.  Without  waiting  a  moment 
this  time,  Mr.  Oldham  brought  me  an  enor- 
mously long  piece  of  paper.  I  put  on  my  spec- 
tacles, having  taken  them  off  to  eat.  I  looked  at 
the  bill,  and  gave  a  deep  roar  of  indignation. 
Mr.  Oldham  fell  to  the  ground  as  if  terror- 
stricken,  and  bounded  up  again : 

"What  is  the  matter,  Mr.  Elephant?' 


224       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

I  expressed  my  displeasure  by  tearing  the  bill, 
and  getting  up  and  stamping  on  it. 

"You  think  it  is  too  much?" 

I  made  a  sign  that  I  did. 

"But  you  must  pay  it!" 

I  signified  that  I  would  not. 

"What !    You  will  not  pay  me  ?" 

I  continued  to  signify  "No." 

"Very  well!  Mr.  Elephant,  we  will  see  about 
that !"  and  he  called  out  : 

"Hi!  there!  Police!  Police!" 

Then  entered  Mr.  Trick  and  Mr.  Trock, 
dressed  as  Policemen. 

"Policemen!"  said  Mr.  Oldham,  "here  is  Mr. 
Elephant  who  refuses  to  pay  my  bill!" 

"Oh,  very  well!  we  will  arrest  you,  Mr.  Ele- 
phant, and  take  you  to  the  Station  House,"  said 
Mr.  Trick. 

"Yes!  Off  with  him  to  the  Station  House!" 
said  Mr.  Trock. 

At  this  threat  I  appeared  to  be  very  much  agi- 
tated, and,  using  my  trunk,  I  drew  out  of  my  bag 
a  number  of  imitation  bank  notes,  which  I  threw 


COMEDIAN  225 

down  on  the  table — and  went  hastily  out,  while 
Mr.  Oldham  performed  an  extravagant  and  bur- 
lesque dance  of  triumph  with  Mr.  Trick  and  Mr. 
Trock.  .  .  . 

This  scene  always  delighted  the  public,  who 
invariably  encored  me  two  or  three  times.  But 
I  felt  humiliated  at  playing  the  part  of  a  buffoon, 
and  making  a  clown  of  myself. 

I  lived  in  this  way  for  several  years ;  when  the 
receipts  fell  off  in  any  city,  Mr.  Hardwick  took 
us  to  another.  We  went  from  Calcutta  to  Chan- 
dernagor,  from  Chandernagor  to  Patna;  then  I 
saw  Benares,  Alahabad,  Delhi,  and  other  places. 

I  need  not  have  been  very  unhappy.  I  had 
made  myself  respected  by  those  who  at  first  at- 
tempted to  tease  me.  Mr.  Oldham  was  proud 
of  his  pupil  and  loved  me ;  Moukounj  was  always 
the  same  good,  kind  fellow  who  had  received  me ; 
and  my  four  friends,  Miss  Annie,  who,  I  had  oc- 
casionally protected  from  her  mother's  violence, 
Circe  Nightingale,  Miss  Sarah  Skipton,  and  Miss 
Clara  Morley  were  always  kind  and  spoiled  me 
incessantly. 


226       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

But,  alas !  I  thought  constantly  of  my  beauti- 
ful life  of  other  days — so  calm — so  happy;  and  I 
thought  of  Parvati,  who  perhaps  was  sad  and  ill- 
treated,  and  whom  I  might  have  defended.  Had 
she  forgotten  me*?  Or,  if  she  thought  of  me, 
must  she  not  accuse  me  of  ingratitude?  And, 
had  I  not  been  indeed  ungrateful,  to  leave  her 
as  I  did,  because  of  a  wicked  jealousy?  .  .  . 

So,  in  spite  of  all  the  kindness  by  which  I  was 
surrounded,  I  was  very,  very  sad. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE   RETURN    TO    PARADISE 

ONE  day  the  "Grand  Circus  of  the  Two 
Worlds'9  arrived  at  Bombay.  I  was  by  this  time 
at  the  end  of  my  endurance — overwhelmed  by 
mortification.  .  .  . 

I,  the  "King-Magnanimous,"  before  whom  a 
whole  nation  had  prostrated  itself — I,  the  fierce 
warrior,  who  had  shed  the  blood  of  the  enemy,, 
restored  a  King  to  his  throne,  and  had  been  the 
loved  companion  of  the  most  beautiful  of  Prin- 
cesses— to  be  reduced  to  exhibiting  myself  in 
grotesque  parades  to  astonish  and  amuse  the  pub- 
lic! ... 

Ah !  how  hard  life  seemed  to  me !  How  lonely 
I  felt  among  these  new  companions,  in  spite  of 
their  kind  treatment  of  me ! 

As  I  was  never  to  see  Parvati  again — never 
return  to  my  lost  paradise — why  should  I  pro- 
long my  sufferings  ? 

16  227 


228       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

I  determined  to  once  more  go  away,  and  to 
seek  in  the  depths  of  the  wild  forests  the  ele- 
phants' Burial  Place,  and  there  let  myself  die 
of  hunger,  among  the  whitening  bones  of  my 
mates. 

Yes,  this  evening's  performance  should  be  the 
last. 

When  all  would  be  asleep,  I  would  quit  my 
wooden  shed;  I  would  swim  across  the  narrow 
channel  that  separates  the  island  of  Bombay 
from  the  main  land,  and  go  to  find  the  resting- 
place  where  all  my  griefs  would  die  with  me. 

I  was  so  preoccupied  with  the  resolve  I  had 
taken,  and  the  thoughts  it  awakened,  that  I  paid 
little  attention  to  the  extraordinary  activity 
which  reigned  that  evening  among  the  artists  of 
the  "Grand  Circus  of  the  Two  Worlds!3 

Costumes  were  being  repaired,  the  accessories 
furbished  up;  familiar  acts  were  being  rehearsed 
with  an  altogether  unusual  care ;  and  they  were 
even  sewing  in  great  haste  a  gold  fringe  onto  a 
drapery  of  red  velvet — for  what  purpose  I  could 
not  imagine. 


THE   RETURN   TO    PARADISE  22Q 

The  performance  began  much  later  than 
usual.  It  was  delayed  as  much  as  possible,  in 
spite  of  the  impatient  stampings  of  the  public. 

When  I  entered  the  Ring  I  saw,  facing  the  en- 
trance, a  great  space  separated  from  the  rest  by 
railings  painted  red;  the  front  of  this  impro- 
vised box  was  covered  by  a  drapery  of  red  velvet 
fringed  with  gold,  and  ornamented  with  the 
Arms  of  England,  and  garlands  of  flowers.  Arm 
chairs  were  placed  inside. 

I  knew  at  once  that  they  expected  some  distin- 
guished person;  but  he  had  not  yet  arrived,  for 
the  box  was  empty,  and  made  a  great  dark  gap  in 
the  midst  of  the  other  seats,  which  were  all  filled 
to  overflowing  by  a  brilliant  audience,  gaily 
dressed. 

Mr.  Oldham  had  been  obliged,  unwillingly, 
to  begin  my  performance,  and  I  was  engaged  in 
balancing  on  the  Rolling  Ball,  when  a  general 
movement  of  the  audience  led  me  to  know  that 
the  illustrious  Personage  had  arrived. 

Being  careful  not  to  lose  my  balance,  it  was 
impossible  to  look  up  to  see  who  it  might  be : 


23O       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

"It  is  most  likely  the  President  of  Bombay," 
thought  I,  and  I  cared  nothing  to  see  him. 

But  all  at  once  the  Ball  rolled  out  from  under 
my  feet,  I  lost  my  balance,  and  fell  on  my 
knees.  ...  A  woman's  voice  had  cried : 

"Iravatar 

Who  could  call  my  name  of  other  days?  .  .  . 
my  name  of  happiness?  And  the  voice — that 
voice  so  sweet  and  musical,  which  penetrated  me 
like  a  sword,  cast  me  onto  my  knees,  and  sent  all 
the  blood  to  my  heart !  ...  It  could  be  no  voice 
but  hers — her  own  voice !  I  was  sure  of  it,  and 
yet  I  dared  not  look — it  seemed  as  if  mistaken  I 
should  die ! 

The  audience,  surprised  and  respectful,  kept 
perfectly  still;  and  the  voice,  grown  sad  this 
time,  spoke  again  : 

"Have  you  forgotten  me  altogether,  Iravata?" 

In  one  bound  I  was  on  my  feet,  and  before  the 
box,  which  was  just  my  height,  and  through  tears 
of  joy  I  beheld  Parvati,  as  if  through  flames  of 
fire.  .  .  .  She  caressed  me — kissed  me — caring 
nothing  for  the  crowds  who  looked  on  in  amaze- 


"OH,  IRAVATA!  IRAVATA!"  SHE  SAID  IN  A  LOW  VOICE 


THE    RETURN    TO    PARADISE  23! 

ment.  .  .  .  And  I !  no  human  being,  even,  could 
have  expressed  what  I  felt,  and  I  was  more  than 
ever  ashamed  of  the  hoarse  cries,  and  the  stamp- 
ings that  were  the  only  means  I  possessed  of  ex- 
pressing a  joy  that  took  my  breath  away. 

"Ah!  Iravata — Iravata!"  said  she  in  a  low 
voice,  close  to  my  ear:  "Thou  couldst  leave  me 
at  such  a  trying  time  in  my  life  ?  .  .  .  I  saw  well 
enough  that  thou  didst  not  give  thy  consent  to 
my  marriage ;  no  doubt  thou  hadst  read  the  soul 
of  the  Prince — and  it  did  not  please  thee !  Thy 
wisdom  certainly  saw  his  nature  clearly;  but 
thou  shouldst  have  done  as  I  did — resign  thyself, 
and  submit  to  fate,  instead  of  abandoning  me — 
ungrateful  as  thou  wert — because  of  jealousyl 
IToiew  thou  wert  jealous — and  I  read  the  death 
of  the  Prince  in  thy  looks  of  rage !  If  it  was  to 
avoid  committing  a  crime  that  thou  didst  leave 
Golconda,  I  must  forgive  thee,  in  spite  of  the 
pain  thou  hast  caused  me.  Thou  mayest  return 
now — for  the  Prince  is  no  more !" 

What  I  did  on  hearing  these  happy  tidings 
was  certainly  not  proper,  for  I  have  been  in- 


232       THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

structed  that  it  is  not  right  to  rejoice  at  the  death 
of  any  one  .  .  .  but  I  could  not  help  it !  I  ran 
three  times  round  the  ring  at  the  top  of  my  speed, 
and  trumpeted  so  loudly  that  the  Audience  fled 
in  terror! 

The  Prince  Alemguir  and  Saphire-of -Heaven 
were  in  the  box,  but  I  had  not  seen  them  at  first, 
so  blinded  was  I  by  tears. 

They  had  sent  for  the  Director  of  the  Circus, 
and  I  now  understood  they  were  speaking  to  him 
of  my  ransom. 

He  showed  himself  very  modest  and  dignified 
in  the  presence  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  Gol- 
conda,  and  declared  with  great  frankness  that  he 
did  not  own  me,  but  had  only  engaged  me  with 
my  actual  master,  and  that  I  had  so  increased  the 
profits  of  the  company  that  he  owed  much  to  me, 
while  nothing  whatever  was  owing  to  him. 

It  was,  therefore,  as  a  gracious  present  that  he 
accepted,  after  many  protestations,  the  magnifi- 
cent diamond  which  the  King  offered  him,  and  a 
very  handsome  sum  for  distribution  among  the 
actors  of  the  troupe. 


THE   RETURN    TO    PARADISE  233 

Moukounj  now  approached,  and  I  made  the 
Princess  understand  that  I  did  not  wish  him  to  be 
left  behind.  He  conducted  himself  as  well  as  he 
knew  how,  and  they  did  not  perceive  that  he  was, 
as  usual — drunk.  It  was  agreed  that  he  should 
go  with  us  to  Golconda. 

All  the  Artists,  in  stage  costume,  were  now  as- 
sembled in  the  Ring. 

I  bade  them  good-bye  as  cordially  as  I 
could.  .  .  .  But  already  they  seemed  far,  far 
away — as  if  forgotten,  and  veiled  in  mists  and 
darkness.  .  .  . 

I  had  once  more  found  my  Light — my  Life !  I 
could  not  see  nor  think  of  anything  else !  And 
while  the  Champagne  corks  popped,  and  the 
glasses  clinked  in  my  honour,  it  was  as  if  in  a 
dream  that  I  left  forever  the  "Grand  Circus  of 
the  Two  Worlds" — absorbed  in  the  great  happi- 
ness of  feeling  once  more  on  my  neck  the  light 
weight  of  my  beloved  Princess,  regained  at  last. 

THE     END 


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